We've been through many challenging years for print, and as finishing is an integral part, it's fair to ask where we're going, and where new opportunities may lie. So let's break out the old crystal ball and gaze...
Digital print advances will create many new finishing opportunities. The finishing expert of the near future will truly have to "think outside the box" to be able to create products in new and innovative ways.
The finishing systems salesperson has to work pretty hard to sell new against used, but it can be done. You've got to sell the ROI in today's workplace. That means labor savings, automation, accuracy and speed. In short, adapt your selling skills to the realities of today's printing industry.
Years ago, I had listened to presentations on the personalization possibilities that digital print would bring to the newspaper industry. So far, those predictions have not come to pass. As inkjet continues to evolve (and gets faster), this market may finally evolve.
Hard-cover bookbinding is a craft that has a history measured in centuries, and one of my discoveries was how small the specialty machinery world in hard cover actually was.
“I need a reliable source for raised-print business cards.” Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? But wait...“The raised print is a design and not lettering.” Now we are narrowing it down.
Hard-cover production is shifting more and more to an "on-demand" model, which has lifted the sales of vendors manufacturing modular machines that can make cases and case-in hard-cover books in small quantities.
Gilded edges have been a staple of wedding invitations for years. More recently, I’ve noticed the occasional business card with color on the edge. But now...the trend is unmistakable.
So, was there any new "breakthrough" in finishing technology presented at PRINT 13? Not really. What we did see were more finishing systems that are better integrated with digital print. This is a trend that has continued over the years as digital printers have gotten faster. Almost all high-volume finishing now starts from the printed roll (or the printer). The goal is to make this an end-to-end solution that can be run by a single operator in the best case.
The pundits who have proclaimed PRINT 13 a great success are not exaggerating. Most exhibitor booths were busy, busy, busy. There was an energy present that had been sorely missing from earlier GRAPH EXPO shows.
