The Smart Investments Driving Printing Success

When printers were asked about their 2025 business priorities for the PRINTING United Alliance Fall 2024 “Commercial Printing Report,” “increasing productivity” topped the list, with 73.3% citing it. And it’s no wonder: competition is fierce. Improving productivity is the key to streamlining work, making customers happy, and getting more business.

One way they are going about improving productivity is by investing in the latest automated equipment and technologies. In fact, 70% said they plan to invest in 2025. Many of them at PRINTING United Expo to do precisely that.

Beyond increasing productivity and efficiency, print service providers (PSPs) also want their investments to accomplish other goals. They want to replace aging equipment, serve their markets more effectively, automate their operations, and expand into new markets. They view investing in the latest equipment and software as vital to their companies.

When PSPs were asked which investments they would most like to make in 2025 (Figure 1), their overwhelming top pick was bindery/finishing equipment/systems, with nearly 53% of respondents citing this. It’s not a surprising selection, since many pressroom bottlenecks occur in the bindery. Older equipment is unable to keep up with ever-faster digital printers. The ability of the latest bindery equipment to handle frequent job changes with quick makereadies helps speed turnaround times for short-run work.

Newer model bindery equipment also boasts more automation features and can enable companies to pursue more complex jobs that command higher margins. In addition, many PSPs see new bindery investments as a way to reduce labor costs and overcome skill gaps, since advanced automation, presetting, and touchless changeovers can minimize the need for highly trained operators.

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Inkjet Interest Surging

The second most sought-after technology is also no surprise. Commercial inkjet presses are on the shopping lists of 35.3% of survey respondents. The move toward inkjet is accelerating as print quality improvements and the ability to print on a broader range of substrates make the latest models more attractive. The market shift toward shorter runs with personalization is also contributing, as is the lower labor requirements of inkjet presses, and their higher uptime.

Evidence of inkjet’s growth can be seen among the attendees of PRINTING United Alliance’s annual Inkjet Summit. Where 10 years ago most Summit attendees were skeptical of inkjet, many of this year’s attendees are looking for second and third inkjet presses to replace legacy offset and toner equipment.

Close behind inkjet acquisitions on PSPs’ wish lists are artificial intelligence (AI) applications, which 34.1% of respondents are targeting. This category covers a range of software applications, from workflow optimization, color adjustment, and image enhancement, to predictive maintenance, predictive analytics for forecasting, and even AI-powered customer service chatbots. AI can automate processes from estimating to billing. It can automate job ticketing, so when a customer service representative opens a job ticket, the software processes the request based on preset rules. Printers are using AI for managing inventory, controlling quality, automating workflow, and much more.

Studies indicate that generative AI has the potential to automate work activities that absorb 60%-70% of employees’ time. In an industry plagued with labor and skill shortages, AI could help drive print providers’ business growth, productivity, and profitability. The exhibitors at PRINTING United Expo have a variety of AI technologies on display. What’s more, the PRINTING AI Pavilion at the Expo (Booth 4255) is providing a central hub for exploring how AI is transforming the industry.

The next three planned capital investments on the list share the goal of smoothing workflow and increasing production speed: digital infrastructure (workstations, servers, networks, etc.), workflow software, and e-commerce solutions (Web-to-print, Web storefronts, etc.). Forward-looking PSPs are streamlining processes, eliminating manual tasks, and building smarter workflows. Automation removes workflow bottlenecks, boosts throughput, and reduces human touch points.

Print workflow automation helps PSPs meet print buyers’ productivity and service expectations. As a result, it can enhance customer experiences. One of the most impactful ways to keep customers happy is through Web-to-print solutions and customized client access platforms. In a 2024 NAPCO Research survey of print buyers, 82% indicated they prefer working with PSPs that offer online ordering options. Making it easy for customers to do business with you is no longer a competitive advantage — it’s an expectation.

Fulfillment Adds Value

Fulfillment capabilities, the seventh most popular planned investment for 2025, are an excellent way for print providers to add value. By handling not only the printing but also the storage, packaging, and shipping of products, a printer can capture additional revenue that might otherwise go to a third-party fulfillment company.

Print providers are realizing that when clients rely on their company for both production and distribution, they’re less likely to switch vendors.

Providing fulfillment requires more than people to pick, pack, and kit, however. Commercial printers need software to automate order management, inventory/warehouse management, and shipping management, and to provide reporting and analytics. They need labeling and barcode systems, folding and inserting equipment, shrink wrappers, and possibly even robotics. Many PSPs are here at the Expo seeking such systems.

Recognizing that equipment alone won’t guarantee their success, commercial printers are seeking better ways to analyze their business data to inform their decision-making.

For that reason, management intelligence systems such as Print MIS, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools are among the investments print providers plan to make this year. When these systems work together, they let PSPs make data-driven decisions, leading to faster turnarounds, higher profitability, and better customer experiences.

Print enhancement technology is another hot area of investment. Digital enhancements like coatings, varnish, and foil transform ordinary printed pieces into premium products that customers are willing to pay more for. Being able to add such embellishments also helps printers stand out from the competition. And once customers see the possibilities, they often want enhancements for more projects — leading to repeat business.

Wide-Format Advantage

Though wide-format equipment is at the bottom of the Top 10 list, its importance as a value-added service has grown over the past decade. Within the in-plant sector, wide-format printing now accounts for 15% of in-plants’ annual revenue, and some 85% of in-plants offer this service, per the 2024 “Trends and Services in the In-plant Industry” report. Among commercial printers, 63.6% have moved into graphic and sign production, according to the Fall 2024 “Commercial Printing Report.”

Those PSPs that provide wide-format printing have found it to be a great fit, allowing them to handle all the printing in a customer’s campaign, from documents and brochures, to signage and wraps.

Wide-format jobs command better profitability than standard offset or digital print work, too. The variety of equipment on display at the Expo is staggering, from roll-fed to flatbed to grand-format machines. With demand for signage, event graphics, and decor on the rise, it’s no wonder PSPs have plans to add this equipment.

Printers that invest in modern equipment, automation, and advanced software are positioning themselves to work faster, smarter, and more profitably. These investments not only remove production bottlenecks and reduce labor dependencies, but also open the door to new revenue streams, stronger customer relationships, and higher-margin work. The ability to deliver exceptional quality, speed, and service will define the leaders of tomorrow. Those who make strategic investments now will be the ones setting the pace — and winning the business.