Until recently, if the words web-to-print were mentioned then my thoughts automatically turned to the sort of web-to-digital-print model exemplified by Moonpig, Moo and Snapfish, among others.

I've revised my thinking, though, because it seems to me that web-to-conventional-print is one of the most interesting - and potentially impactful - business models for the future shape of the industry. With this model multiple short-run jobs are ganged up on the same offset sheet. It may even be that VLF offset presses are used, as is the case with one well-known continental exponent of this model, Germany's FlyerAlarm.

This ganging up of jobs on offset presses is what Printing.com has been doing for years, although without the snazzy internet front-end. It recently added this type of functionality and I'm not surprised: look at the growth of Vistaprint, which has both offset and digital print kit at its two manufacturing hubs. This business has grown and grown and grown over the past five years: from sales of $152m in 2006 to $670m in 2010. The profit on that was $68m, and its average order value is $34.

It goes without saying that the secret of success in this 'industrial printing of short runs' space is sophisticated software and automation systems whereby technology (and the customer themselves when entering the details) does most of the work, and human intervention is kept to the absolute minimum.

I'm not aware of a UK equivalent of FlyerAlarm (please get in touch if there is and it's you), but feel sure there will be one soon enough. It looks like this particular web-to-print model will be a major topic at the upcoming Heidelberg open house that includes Red Tie and Tharstern. FlyerAlarm, by the way, is a Heidelberg customer so anyone interested in gaining insights into this space could do worse than to free up some space in their diary for Tamworth's swansong on 9-10 Feb.