What do you feel were the main trends and key industry developments in 2022?
As run lengths continued to decline, there has been an increasing trend towards production methods that enable more automation, produce less waste, shorten job turnaround times and generally bring greater efficiency. In addition, the trend towards greater sustainability and more environmentally friendly practices, which has already been evident for a number of years, has intensified.

A positive development was that trade shows and industry events could again take place. For example, Kodak Innovation In Action in Dayton, Printing United Expo in Las Vegas, the GUA Conference in Munich and IGAS 2022 in Tokyo were welcomed opportunities for us to connect again in person with customers and prospects.

How have the numerous economic, political, and supply chain challenges that have dominated 2022 affected you and your customers, and how have you had to react?
Like all suppliers to the printing industry, Kodak was directly affected by these challenges. Although Kodak has made every effort to mitigate the impacts of these cost rises, it was unavoidable to increase prices. We also made significant investments to expand our safety stocks to minimise the risks of supply chain disruptions and ensure delivery to our customers.

With the launch of the Kodak Prosper Ultra 520 Inkjet Press, which delivers quality comparable to offset at high production speeds, we are enabling printers to mitigate the cost and supply risks of offset plates while helping to reduce the significant carbon footprint of plate manufacturing and distribution.

How have your relationships with customers and their expectations from you as supplier changed in the past 12 months?
Customers expect us to provide expert advice and production solutions that will enable them to successfully manage the current challenges. Furthermore, customers expect us to work efficiently, and we have met this demand by implementing various measures.

Kodak has remained totally focused on our customers, supplying them with the equipment, service, and supplies they needed to grow their business, profitably. We also offer world-class support tailored to printers’ specific needs, to keep their processes and presses running at full capacity.

What do you expect to be the main trends, key industry developments, and biggest opportunities for printers in 2023?
2023 will also be marked by significant cost increases for energy, raw materials, labour, and transport/logistics, as well as the scarce availability of labour, paper and other materials. Overall, the market and print customers’ needs will change more rapidly than ever before due to the effects of the challenges mentioned above. Moreover, the sustainability and resource conservation topic will in all likelihood become even more relevant.

The trends and pressures for economical short runs, more personalisation, faster speed to market, and waste reduction will continue. In the direct mail area, the capabilities of digital printing are creating new opportunities to become more targeted and effective now that new privacy regulations are curtailing digital advertising.

Significant business opportunities will arise for printers who can offer the market tailored answers to these requirements with their portfolio of services. A big opportunity for printers is to consider adding digital printing to their production capabilities. For example, our Prosper Ultra 520 Press, which delivers offset quality at high production speeds, is an ideal way for printers to provide their customers with a fast and efficient service, mitigate the risks of printing plates, and operate more sustainably.

In view of the increasing shortage of skilled workers, rising labour costs and the need to operate with the greatest possible efficiency, automation is almost becoming a must for printers. With our Kodak Prinergy Workflow Solutions, printers can build a seamless automation infrastructure that helps them successfully address these challenges.

Kodak will continue to support our customers with a portfolio of cutting-edge solutions for digital and conventional printing that enable them to efficiently meet these needs while remaining profitable.

How can suppliers better help printers navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities in 2023?
Smart printers will recognise the need to further automate standard processes, embrace both cloud technology for workflow and customer collaboration, and incorporate digital print technology. The commitment to digital production printing is a perfect step for printers to mitigate mounting cost and supply risks. Kodak, as a supplier of leading-edge inkjet and electrophotographic digital printing solutions and workflow tools, can help print service providers successfully seize business opportunities with these technologies. The various automation features of Kodak's workflow solutions enable printers to overcome challenges like staffing shortages and increase their operational efficiency. Intelligent workflow tools such as Dynamic Print Planning, Ink Optimization and Decision Analytics help reduce material consumption and waste, optimise overall productivity and achieve much-needed cost savings.

Kodak can also help printers navigate the challenges in the offset sector. With our automated CTPs and process-free plates, platemaking becomes a fully automated, streamlined process that requires almost no manual intervention. Not only does process free offer clear environmental advantages, but it also eliminates the defects associated with conventional plate processing. This leads to more reliable press makereadies and minimised press downtime and paper waste. Ultimately, this means cost savings in the pressroom.

How can suppliers do more to promote the effectiveness of print to the broader business community?
Suppliers can place greater emphasis on the 'power of print' in their own communications across all the channels they use by promoting print as an essential component of successful marketing communication of brands and companies. Similarly, they can actively engage in initiatives of industry associations that promote the effectiveness of print to boost the momentum and impact of such vendor-neutral campaigns. Examples include Intergraf's 'The Future of Reading' campaign and the 'Shaping the Future with Print' events and BPIF’s 'British Book Design & Production Awards'. And, of course, suppliers themselves can set an example by using print as an efficient tool to achieve their business goals – for example, through targeted direct mail campaigns or data-based programmatic printing.

Note: This prediction is taken from a special Briefing article in the new issue of Printweek featuring insights from industry suppliers, hence it does not follow the same question template as the other predictions.