| by Malcolm McReath
FIP3 MAE QDR
Much has been written about and
debated over concerning the future of print now that the digital
age is upon us. Many advocates of electronic delivery have predicted
that within a period of 20 years or so printing will have all
but disappeared and we will be viewing everything that we need
for information or entertainment on screen. Others, and I include
myself in this number, take a more cautious view. Whilst major
changes will come about over the same period of time in the
science and art of printing due to digital technology, in my
opinion print as an industry still has a very bright future.
The trends in printing technology
Digital printing began to make an impact on
the print scene in the early 1990’s with the introduction
of machines that could seriously challenge litho printing for
monochrome work. Colour followed about three years later. However,
it was the late 1990’s before any real impact was felt
on the levels of litho print production.
Currently, respected industry assessors such
as CAPS Ventures and PIRA amongst others calculate that the
slow down in litho printing is running at a rate of approximately
0.05% per annum overall, and it is not expected that the rate
of decline will increase in the next few years to any marked
degree.
Digital printing on the other hand is increasing
year by year at a rate of between 3 and 4% overall and it is
expected that if anything this rate of increase will accelerate
in the next few years.
Digital printing does have a long way to go
in winning market share from litho. The estimate in 2000 was
that more than 90% of all printing was litho let alone other
processes such as gravure and flexographic printing having their
share. However, the future for digital print is bright, as it
offers unique opportunities in the market place that other printing
processes cannot match.
The unique opportunities for digital
printers
Those involved in digital print production,
particularly in the colour print sector, will know that competing
with litho in the short run market is a very tough option. Such
have been the developments in pre-press and on-press technology
in the past few years that litho can be cost effective on orders
for less than 1,000 copies, and in some cases as low as 500
copies.
The way forward for digital printers
particularly in the colour sector is to focus on the type of
work and offer the type of customer services that litho cannot
match by virtue of the technology employed. To do this there
are developments happening in the market place that aids this
process which I would like to review.
page 2
|
