Almost every printed product has an electronic counterpart, whether a PURL or a website accessed via QR code or new approaches the use printed electronics.
The printer of 2020 is an information factory. The reproduction device is no longer the centre of attention. It is all about the workflow. Jobs come in as electronic files and are processed by integrated programs. Where a substrate is required, files are prepared for any of a plethora of devices, digital and analogue, big and small.
Digital printing is a core capability, using toner, inkjet ink, and new e-ink, called "enk". Because of the integration of finishing, digital printing is more automated. Offset litho is still a major process but has lost half its volume to digital printing. Finishing is the major mechanical area left over from the old printing industry.
Print is everywhere
The major change is that printers now place images on any material, from paper to metal, glass to board. Cloud printing now means actually printing on clouds, a growth area for signage. "Look, up in the sky. It’s an... ad!?"
All of the skill sets of the old printing industry are now shrink-wrapped –
that is, part of the workflow. Printers routinely create and maintain websites, handle email campaigns, produce electronic ads, and manage digital assets for clients.
IT is now the dominant skill set and most print staff work in front of a computer.
The differentiation between quick printer, commercial printer, packaging printer, and specialty printer have disappeared. Jobs are specified and input via printer websites, with instant pre-flighting and proofs for approval. Links to paper suppliers and other services are all electronic. Email notification informs customers of job status at every step in the process.
The major change has come with breakthroughs in printed electronics. RFID has replaced barcodes but, more importantly, linked the print world with the electronic world. Low-cost printed display screens are integrated into packaging with printed batteries and printed electronics. Packages are de facto internet display devices.
The package and the electronics are printed at the same time; thus,
the printing industry is flourishing. New products are created daily that integrate print and electronics. Some printed products disappeared, like White Pages phonebooks and many printed forms. On-demand books are still the rage in the book industry. Amazon, B&N, and Borders have merged into AmaBorderBarN.
Payment is streamlined and printers no longer wait to be paid.
OK, maybe that one is going too far.
Frank Romano is professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
This article first appeared in ProPrint.
