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Recent
advances in digital technology have prompted many industries to
make the transition from analog to digital. Television, cable services,
imaging and telecommunications have all been quick to jump aboard
and take advantage of the improved speed or quality that comes with
such advances. The Printing industry is no different.
Many segments of the printing industry have already adopted digital
as a supplement to, or replacement for offset printing, and experts
think that digital printing will experience remarkable growth over
the next few years. CAP Ventures estimates that the retail value
of print in the production copying and digital printing market will
grow from $3.6 billion in 2001 to $50.5 billion by 2006. Industry
expert Frank Romano agrees. He predicts that worldwide offset volume
will stay flat while digital color volume will double over the next
five years. That sort of growth cannot be ignored, even by small-to-midsize
quick print shops that have been printing offset successfully for
many years and have been slower to embrace digital.
Digital Delivers Advantages
Digital color printing offers the quick printer many and varied
advantages. It allows printers to take on shorter run jobs that
they might not have been able to produce affordably with offset,
opening avenues to new customers and revenue streams. Digital color
is also changing the nature of variable-information printing, giving
printers - large and small - the opportunity to sell new services.
Prior to the rise of digital color printing, variable information
printing was primarily black-and-white and often used to personalize
text and data for transactional applications such as invoices and
statements. Digital color, on the other hand, can be used for more
varied applications, such as producing marketing pieces.
Perhaps most importantly, the benefits offered by digital color
printing can be attained without sacrificing image quality, providing
a true alternative to offset. In fact, industry experts concur that
the output from today's digital machines increasingly rivals the
print quality produced by offset machines.
In the last year, advancements in "dry ink," or the toner
used in digital equipment have led to some exciting advances in
digital printing. Until recently, toner was only created organically
by growing crystals and then crushing those crystals into a fine
powder. Xerox's patented EA (emulsion aggregation) technology allows
toner particles to be grown chemically versus organically under
controlled conditions, allowing the ability to control the size,
shape and structure of the particles. This enables prints to be
produced with sharper images, using less toner and with less cost.
The emulsion aggregation process requires less energy and generates
less waste than traditional toner, contributing to greater reliability.
EA Toner allows for sharper image quality and improved fine lines
and text. Perhaps more important to the quick printer is the fact
that chemical toners also improve printer reliability, decreases
downtime and warm-up time. The faster warm-up time is especially
important for businesses that rely on walk-up copying and printing.
With all the benefits provided by recent advances in digital technology,
there is little reason that quick print vendors should be slow to
warm to the process. Those that have adopted digital printing report
significant increases in revenues, profits and customer base.
Fast Turnaround Captures Customers
Printing shops who adopt digital printing can see the benefits of
full-color brochures, newsletters, postcards, posters and other
materials digitally. Some vendors say that jobs that would take
as long as two weeks when printed offset can now be turned around
in days. Shops who have adopted digital printing have the ability
to provide fast turnaround time which set them apart from the others.
Flexibility in Run Size and Manpower
In addition to providing quick turnaround, digital color printing
gives the flexibility of affordable, short run color. In their days
with offset, small printing shops were unable to offer customers
an affordable price on runs as small as 1,000.
Another major benefit of transitioning to digital printing is the
flexibility it gives the shop in terms of manpower. Being able to
multi-task while printing is a major advantage. While many quick
printers have been reluctant to implement variable data printing,
it has indeed turned to become a key differentiator.
The enhanced image quality offered by digital gives printing shops
or vendors the tools they need to meet the expectation of their
customers that offer higher-end products and services and are very
concerned with the image quality of their printed pieces.
Digital Delivers New Life
The transition from offset to digital has been extremely successful
for printers who have adopted it, in much the same way as it can
be for all quick printers. In the quick printing community, digital
success stories are becoming the norm, not the exception. Customers
are demanding more and more from their print providers - they want
cheaper, faster, colorful, more personalized documents. To maintain
a competitive edge, traditional offset printers need to begin making
the transition to digital, or risk being passed over in favor of
shops that can turn jobs around more quickly, can produce color
output more affordably or can integrate variable data into pieces.
With the help of vendors like Xerox that have vast expertise in
the digital printing field, making the transition can be painless.
Visit us at @ Drupa to see the latest in digital printing technology
from Xerox....
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