Print is not Dead

IT'S 2019 AND WE'RE STILL PUTTING INK ON PAPER

It's no secret that the world has become increasingly reliant on technology.  The virtual world finds new ways to impinge on the "real" world every day.  In the print industry, we've been hearing the cry, "Print is dead" for years.  We were warned the world would soon be paperless.   Nothing could be further from the truth. Print is changing, that's certain.  Gone are the days of long run offset print jobs.   Commercial print companies have found themselves shifting gears to keep up with an increasing demand for quick turn, short run print jobs.  Digital equipment, both toner printers and ink presses, has evolved to do all sorts of tricks.  Commercial printing has adapted and evolved.  And for those companies who could adjust, business is booming. In spite of the dire predictions, print has continued to be an important and effective marketing tool.  Print has always been a tactile medium.  In these days of "virtual" everything, the physical experience of printed material is a welcome change.  The feel of a slick catalog or textured business card is something that can't be replaced by a fancy product shot or virtual mockup.  Not yet anyway.

Print is "real" in an age when so many things aren't.

Printed material seems to stick around giving people the opportunity to return to it again and again.  Print can be customized with variable data and graphics (even maps) that speak specifically to the desired audience.  With the use of things like  QR codes and augmented reality links, print can connect to the virtual world in new and unexpected ways.  Print has held its own in the digital age. The entire printing industry has become more sustainable.  Tree farms provide much of the paper used in the U.S. and provide not only jobs, but erosion-deterrents and habitat for all sorts of wildlife.  While data centers and "server farms" are tearing up the landscape with asphalt and concrete, paper suppliers are planting more trees and recycling more post consumer material than ever. The print industry has evolved.  Print is not dead.  It's been reconfigured and rejuvenated.  Small and mid-sized commercial print companies are thriving.  It's 2019 and there's still a market for ink on paper. © 2019 AlphaGraphics Franklin Learn more about how digital print can help your business.