John Parsons

John Parsons

John Parsons (john@intuideas.com), former Editorial Director of The Seybold Report, is an independent writer, ghostwriter, and editor. He is the co-author of the interactive printed textbook, Introduction to Graphic Communication, on the art, science and business of print, which has been adopted by Ryerson, Arizona State, the University of Houston, and many other schools and vocational training centers. Custom editions of the book are under consideration by major printing companies and franchises for internal training purposes.

Interactive Content Apps for Tablets, Smart Phones Create Revenue Opportunities

For printers that already offer layout and design services, an unexpected revenue source (or at least a way to retain customer loyalty) may be digital media itself, in the form of interactive apps for tablets and smartphones. Unlike Websites, apps can be created with the same tools used to produce printed pages. With a modest software investment, plus incremental training of existing staff, printers can offer their clients supplemental interactive collateral—to complement their printed products.

A Digital Printing Redux

With offset presses becoming scarce on the show floor and digital vendors pushing for higher volume and larger B2-format machines, digital presses are becoming the "big iron" components of the GRAPH EXPO show. Almost without exception, digital press vendors highlighted their workflow and digital front end (DFE) capabilities.