To stand out in today’s print marketplace there are several different ways you can make your mark. You could put in place a low-cost strategy. Or perhaps focus on a specific niche print market. You could try specializing in enhanced print finishing such as foil, embossing Crystals, holograms and more. Of course, traditionally, enhanced print has been an offline secondary embellishment processes. As a printer how do you make the decision on which direction to go—and what equipment do you choose to help make it happen?
As a print shop owner or manager, you might also be looking for some analysis of the print market to support the decisions you make for the future. As providers in the digital enhancement printing press market, Scodix tries to guide our customers toward single inline digital presses that can handle most of the above standout print finishing wants.
In fact, we have written recently on how you can make your print sing with bling and how shops can standout with print finishing. But what data do we have to support that this will impact your business positively? Let’s take a look at a recent print study and an article from one of our Scodix customers.
A recent Keypoint Intelligence (formerly known as InfoTrends) print study, Beyond CMYK: The Use of Special Effects in Digital Printing, researched the sized of the digital print enhancement market. The current market is estimated to be valued at about $917 million. That value is expected to raise at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14%, which makes the value of the market in 2020 an estimated $1.3 billion. Double-digit growth rates are an opportunity to grow that you won’t want to ignore.
In this study they also interviewed print buyers about what they look at to differentiate their printed pieces and grab attention. They identified print enhancement as the special printing effects that they would leverage to make their offerings stand out. What exactly qualifies as print enhancement? White ink, spot colors, fluorescents, and spot/flood coating. You could also extend that to capabilities to add foil, glitter, holograms and more inline with a digital print enhancement press.
Keypoint Intelligence states that less than 10% of digital print volumes use a fifth color station. Conversely, 47% of print buyers believe that their printed materials, such as brochures, business cards, direct mail, greeting cards and invitations, could benefit spot or flood coating. The study also found this about the value associated print enhancement:
Special effects printing can be a profitable endeavor. According to InfoTrends’ research, print buyers will pay premiums in the range of 24% to 89% for digital print enhancements over CMYK-only work.
These findings align with the experiences that we have had with our customers in placing digital enhancement printing press such as the Scodix Ultra Pro Digital Enhancement Press. These presses have helped our customers around the world deliver standout print and finishing in a single inline engine.
An example would be CMYK Hub based in Australia. They had this to say about their Scodix digital enhancement embossing machine:
The Scodix adds a clear layer of cleared polymer gloss application. That allows designers and brand owners to demand the highest quality, and it produces the most eye-catching designs possible.”
With the ability to change the offerings to their customers, CMYK Hub has not only been able to reach new customers, they have been able to take on another print company that was in distress and build it back up again. And it is all in pursuit of the culture that is at the foundation of all their goals:
“We want to be as competitive as we can be, with us producing a fantastic quality product. We are driven by a team that really does care.”
Learn how you can leverage the double-digit growth potential in the print enhancement market with the help of Scodix. You can see examples in our online gallery, Instagram or by ordering a sample. Or contact one of our Scodix experts, we look forward to opening doors to new print opportunities for your organization.
