Print's New Life

The life span of print has been a topic of discussion for what seems like eons now. Will the immediate gratification of smart phones and tablets, along with their easy accessibility to the Internet, its news, gossip and shopping, be the last straw to push print into oblivion? Probably not.

I firmly believe technology can work in tandem with print, and now—more than ever—these possibilities are coming to fruition. The technology behind Augmented Reality (AR) codes has become easier to integrate into print and an increasingly user-friendly interface gives consumer audiences a better experience. The pairing of cutting-edge tablet technology with old-fashioned words on paper is gaining traction in the marketplace and is exactly what the print industry has needed to bring relevance back to the medium. If the industry can get buy in from end-users, then the possibilities are endless.

In this month’s issue, read more on integrating technology into print. Promotional products suppliers are using AR codes in product catalogs to bring images to 3-D life. Print companies are offering AR Codes to their customers’ print, packaging, brochures, business cards and publications, giving them a technology package that is trackable and measurable.

Print isn’t dead by a long shot. But to stay in the game, to stay relevant, printers and resellers of printed products must stay on top of new technology, get innovative and find ways to pair it up with products that live within the company’s areas of expertise. Sometimes this will require additional employee training or new product acquisitions, new hires, or a mutually beneficial partnership. No matter the chosen path to success, standing still is not an option.