INDUSTRY GURU FRANK ROMANO, professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Print Media, noted these digital printing trends:
• While digital imaging offset press technology is still valid for short runs, digital printing offers the benefits of one-off impressions and variable data.
• Inkjet provides the only foreseeable threat to toner-based printing. Look at a wide-format inkjet printer and you will see the future of the printing press. The quality is high and speeds are increasing.
• All printing processes will soon share the same digital infrastructure.
• Workflow is, and will be, everything.
• Networked laser printers are challenging copiers; copiers are challenging digital presses; digital presses are challenging offset; and ink jet may challenge everything.
• Digital printers now positioned between digital presses and full-color copiers offer compelling quality and pricing.
• Color management software and system controllers used in laser color printers are raising the levels of color consistency for digital printing.
• The secret to success in any printing depends on finishing, and finishing for digital printing can be online, inline, near line and offline.
• Digital printing for one-off books is a major growth market. Once converted to digital format, they can even be repurposed and produced in a variety of forms.
THE DIGITAL PRINTING Council’s Marketing 4 Digital initiative identifies, details and analyzes digital printing and variable-data printing opportunities within specific hot markets, including:
• Advertising agencies
• Health-care
• Hospitality and tourism
• Retail/wholesale trade
• Gambling and wagering
• Automotive manufacturers and dealers
• Insurance
• Real estate brokerages
• Gas and electric utilities
• Office supplies/home improvement
• Financial services
• Telecommunications
• Professional services (legal, accounting, etc.)
• Education
• Publishing
• Pharmaceutical manufacturers
• Religious organizations
For more information, including how to purchase reports, visit the PIA/GATF store at www.gain.net and select market trends, or call (866) 855-4283.
Related story: Dive Into Digital
- Companies:
- Print Media
- People:
- ROMANO