The printing industry is finding its post pandemic feet. Although headwinds arising from rising costs and from the conflict in Ukraine are starting to make their presence felt.
WhatTheyThink’s Printing Outlook 2022 survey found 78% of print businesses saw a lift in revenues in 2021 compared to 2020 and 17% said revenues had risen more than 25% compared to 2020.
The world’s commercial printing market is projected to grow to $472.35 billion by 2026, up from $411.99 billion in 2020, according to research specialist Mordor Intelligence. This, it says, is being driven by technology advances and greater demand for short run production for a wide range of applications including books, direct mail, brochures, and catalogues.
Technology developments and ways to support the changing marketplace are topics manufacturers and suppliers have continued to explore during the pandemic.
The result is end to end production enhancements enabling PSPs to prepare for the future by increasing their flexibility and responsiveness. Here are five areas that have been positively impacted:
1. Hardware
Operations are under greater pressure to manage an increased number of short runs as my colleague Clive Stringer discussed here. Efficiently responding to this environment requires the ability to deftly switch from job to job. Increasingly agile sheetfed and continuous feed production systems enable this work to be completed quickly and accurately. Developments have increased automation, quality, and productivity to help PSPs increase their capacity, improve quality, and expand their services,
2. Software
Effectively connecting all stages of production facilitates a smooth and streamlined process that maximises uptime and capacity. Increasingly software applications are being expanded to enable the smooth integration of updated modules and capabilities. The focus is on solutions that automate every step in the process, from order intake and complex campaign management to efficient production planning, and dispatch, all with the emphasis on just in time delivery for maximum efficiency.
3. Applications
As we know, demand is increasing for short run applications that can be produced quickly and to a very high quality. To ensure these stand out and deliver maximum impact there has been a broad industry focus on inks, colour gamut, and colour options presenting a wider choice and supporting vibrant, exciting results.
4. Substrate versatility
When Grand View Research investigated the worldwide inkjet printer market it predicted a compound annual growth rate of 5.3% to 2027 driven by demand for higher print quality. Drop on Demand inkjet technology was expected to emerge as the fastest-growing segment due to the flexibility of substrates it can print on including plasterboard, plastics, timber, metals, packaging, and concrete. This ability to produce consistent results on an array of materials is opening up exciting opportunities, particularly in industrial décor.
5. Business Development
Investing in the above areas will make a difference but the impact will be greater if the choices are part of a clear growth plan. This is not always easy for busy print businesses to identify. That is why it is good to partner with suppliers and manufacturers who support operational transition with insight, knowledge, and expertise.
Ricoh developments touch on all five of these areas such as the Ricoh Pro Scanner Option for the Ricoh Pro VC60000 and Ricoh Pro VC70000 high speed inkjet platforms that improves accuracy and consistency. Guiding us is a passionate commitment to help you future proof your business, including by finding new production efficiencies and driving out waste, to help offset the pressures from increases in paper, energy, and labour costs.
We are also constantly updating our agnostic workflow software and partnering with third party leaders in their field such as Objectif Lune and Quadient. We are enhancing our portfolio of creative solutions, too. Recent new additions include the
EDP award-winning Ricoh Pro L5100e Series of extended gamut latex large format printers that accurately reproduce a wider range of Pantone and brand colours. Supporting our clients in their continued success are our Business Booster online information resources and EDGE pre and post sale consultation services.
Are you ready to discover more about these and other ways you can help your operation prepare for the future? Contact our team.
By Erwin Busselot, Business Innovation & Solutions Director,Graphic Communications Group Ricoh Europe
