The Onion, an American news satire organization, didn't miss its opportunity to comment on the recent resignation of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Unfortunately, printers—"laser, ink-jet, double-sided, color and black-and-white"—were the punch line of the joke. In a fictional press conference, incoming CEO Tim Cook commented that "the release of upcoming Apple products such as the iPhone 5 would be postponed for at least four years so the company could throw all its time and resources into the creation of high-quality printers for the home and office."
Funny? Yes. But also very telling about the public perception of the print industry. Technology is (and will continue to be) a formidable opponent for traditional channels of communication such as print.
This is especially evident in the continuous forms market, which appears to take a hit each year. Nevertheless, while these forms may lack the high demand they once had years ago, they remain relevant. According to Darrell Westhoff, sales manager for Pittsburg, Kansas-based Ace Forms, mail processors and large processing centers particularly have a need for these products. Ace Forms is committed to fulfilling their requests, and Westhoff believes the company's 40-year history gives it a competitive advantage in the continuous sector.
"We have offered a full line of continuous forms in the most popular sizes," he said. "We can produce up to six color, UV forms in press sizes 14", 17", 20", 22" and 24" and the multiples of each size. Value added features include barcoding, card carriers, integrated labels, pocket forms, cross web glue and jumbo numbering."
Established in 1913, The Flesh Company, headquartered in St. Louis, is another company that understands the value of continuous forms. With approximately 42 percent of its business consisting of continuous forms, The Flesh Company produces printed rolls, continuous multiple part, carbonless and security applications among other types.
Roger Buck, CDC, director of marketing, elaborated on specific features. "Sizes range from 2" to 24" in length, and many will have one or more value add features for either increasing the efficiency of the form and process or protecting the document from counterfeit attack," he noted. Other value-added extras include foil, integration and camera verification.
Buck is observing some interesting trends in the market, including chain of custody applications requiring 1-D and 2-D barcoding and verification. "This area demands a high degree of accuracy due to the nature of the items that are being tracked," he explained. "We see many applications for multiple barcode labels, integrated into a continuous form for tracking medications, tests, forensics, lab results and other areas where an unbroken history of contact is mandated."
Continuous forms have many benefits—just ask Westhoff. "[They offer] reliability, multiple copies with one pass through a printer, [they are] great POS forms when receipts are needed and they are cost-effective compared to ink cartridges," he mentioned. "With the large amount of printing machinery still on-line, those that do need continuous forms have found the price to remain fairly stable, making the use of continuous forms, especially [for] big users, a consistent value."
Still, with the good comes the bad. Sometimes, continuous forms are no match for the availability and abundance of laser printers. While Buck acknowledged the blow served by electronic forms and laser printers, he wanted to clear up some misconceptions for companies contemplating a transition to a laser format.
"If the client is considering moving to a laser format, there still needs to be a study of the information flow process," Buck insisted. "How will multiple copies, each with a different user, be handled? How much variable data is applied versus static print? Will switching create a loss of brand integrity? Will multiple printers be required to replace one multiple part form? What about toner cost and maintenance?"
He went on to say that continuous applications with labels and cards are more difficult to replace cost effectively with a new technology. "In some cases, the environment in which the printer must operate is not conducive to laser or other digital technology," Buck commented.
So what exactly does the future hold for a market filled with twists and turns? Buck anticipates further decline for non-value add continuous forms.
However, he suspected that value add continuous sales will remain flat or decline at a much slower pace since many of these applications cannot be readily replaced by other technologies. The Flesh Company experienced this firsthand when it saw a slight decline in its continuous forms sales last year. The small drop fortunately was compensated by an increase in average order value thanks to the value add solutions, Buck said.
Finally, a company's management style will influence its chances for success in the continuous sector.
"Continuous documents will still be a revenue stream for our trade partners who design integrated solutions for their clients," Buck presumed. "Investing in new equipment to manufacture these designs efficiently is our role in the partnership. [...] The demands placed on our trade partners by their clients must be supported."
The Flesh Company recently invested in verification equipment and new equipment to support its printed roll market. But don't expect Buck to give up all the goods. "How we configure our plant production for specific jobs is pretty much a trade secret," he said.
- Companies:
- Ace Forms
- Places:
- Pittsburg, Kansas
- St. Louis
Elise Hacking Carr is senior production editor for Print & Promo Marketing magazine, and managing editor for PRINTING United Journal.