Get With the Digital Print Program

Think beyond short-run solutions to long-term profitability.

At the On Demand Conference & Expo, held May 17-19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, the energy was palpable, the excitement was infectious, and the opportunities were mind-boggling. Yes, for distributors who have embraced digital printing, these are the best of times. But, these can seem like the worst of times for those intimidated by technology.

"It doesn't have to be like that," stressed Paul Edwards, president of Fenton, Missouri-based FormStore. "Attaching graphic and database files is actually much easier than sitting down and doing form designs, and paper and carbon tests. Time, education and successful programs will lead to broad acceptance of the power of digital printing."

Both Edwards and Jeff Prettyman, executive vice president of Wise Business Forms, Alpharetta, Ga., pointed out that the real beauty of digital printing lies in the ability to explain it as a total concept to end-users and then close on programs that may include 1-to-1 marketing, direct mail and personalized printing, as well as static color reprographic pieces. "Distributors can set up programs that may generate $50,000 to $100,000 worth of profitable business that they hardly have to touch, and it can be arranged such that the end-users are doing the work for the distributors," said Edwards. "But, it is going to take the same kind of work that it took to learn carbonless, pressure-sensitive and pressure-seal—and actually, I don't think digital printing is as complicated."

Prettyman explained that Wise Business Forms has developed and hosts a variety of Web-to-print programs. "Since distributors, for the most part, don't have the technical expertise that's called for, we partner with them and work with the end-users' marketing and IT people to fully develop the solution," he said. "Strong prospects include customers with many different offices, nationally or internationally, and companies with a lot of salespeople." Prettyman added that distributors seem to have good success in the financial/residential mortgage application markets, and with loan companies.