There is no doubt, no matter what part of the world you are printing in, that today’s printing industry is rather different from that of the past. Especially if you go back to pre-digital printing where offset presses ruled the print space and long print runs were required to make print viable for most print buyers, brands and consumers. While digital printing presses and midsize printers are not new to the print industry, we certainly are seeing more print providers invest in digital printing as time marches on.
In fact, in the 7th drupa Global Trends Report published in April 2020, we saw this impression of the market echoed through their survey results. From the summary report you can download from the drupa website, they said this about the transition to digital print technologies pre-COVID-19:
“The transition to digital print is slow but steady and whilst conventional (non-digital) print processes still provide the major cashflow for most printers, it is digital technologies that show more rapid growth in most sectors.”
The report also shares that printers know they must continue to invest in order to survive and thrive. We talk a bit about this in our previous Scodix blog, Give the People What They Want: Embellished Print!, in that customers will come back and do business with print providers when they are able to if they see inspiring offers and capabilities that they believe will help their business thrive. The latest drupa report also confirms that across many industries, investments in digital print and finish equipment is up to 30%. And 50% of printers are looking to invest in finishing.
Now those impressions of the market are pre-COVID19, but at Scodix we have continued to see print providers planning for the path their businesses are taking. Recently, we announced our latest Scodix technology in digital finishing and print enhancements, including specialized offerings for web-to-print, commercial and specialty and packaging. The goal of these new offerings is to make sure printers have options to move their businesses forward with the right tools and the right standout embellishments that print buyers are looking to purchase.
As part of the changes to today’s print market; short-runs also continue to dominate the landscape. As many printers are aware, the definition of short-runs varies from shop to shop, but in general, offset produces higher quantities of static (or the same output) on the printed piece. A few years ago, Gary V. Lacinski of Circle Press told Publisher Weekly in saying this about when to consider offset printing:
Offset should enter the decision-making process at print runs of roughly 1,000 or more.
Many printers are seeing success with web-to-print in the current times and short-run packaging. This fits the needs of what buyers are looking to purchase without keeping too much stock on hand. That makes being able to produce short-runs in a short amount of time paramount for print providers to stay competitive. A need we believe has just increased in 2020 and will continue to be important in 2021.
This is where innovations from our team at Scodix, announced this year and last, help to accelerate the production of enhancements, which make print standout:
2020: Scodix Launches Enhanced Productivity Workflow Solution: Scodix Studio Station
2020: Scodix Launches 6 new presses designed for specific markets
The Scodix Studio Platforms speeds up job processing of digital enhancement through the superior processing of Scodix applications like foil, glitter and dimensional textures just to name a few. The newly launched Scodix Ultra 1000’s series are designed to fully address the needs of each sector. Innovations to help the print industry look forward and flourish today and in the future. We invite you to learn more by contacting one of our representatives and ordering a sample kit. Print buyers and customers will take notice of an investment in standout print offerings. We look forward to your future success.
