Is Your Business Considering Digital Printing?

Digital Printing

Is Your Business Considering Digital Printing?

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Technology has not only transformed the way we live our lives, but it has also changed the way we print. Case in point: Digital printing.

As the Xerox website explains, “Digital printing offers numerous advantages over traditional analog printing methods – such as offset printing – because digital printing machines do not require printing plates. Instead of using metal plates to transfer an image, digital printing presses print the image directly onto the media substrate.

“Digital production print technology is evolving quickly, and digital printing output quality is improving continuously. These advancements are delivering print quality that mimics offset.”

Digital printing provides the following advantages:

  • Personalized, variable data printing (VDP) – This allows such marketing materials as mailers to be personalized with the recipient’s name and other individualized information.
  • Print-on-demand
  • Cost-effective short runs
  • Fast turnarounds
  • Consistency – Every print is the same, due to not having to balance ink and water during the press run.
  • Environmentally friendly – As there are no pre-press stages, there is no need for film plates or photo chemicals.

What to look for in a digital printing company?

To get the best service and highest possible quality from a digital printing company, do your homework before making your choice. Here is what you need to look for in a digital printing company:

Check the quality they offer and deliver; research their professional reputation – Ask to see physical examples of the print company’s work – not just examples on their website. Read customer reviews and the printer’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to get an idea of their quality, reliability, etc. Also check their Better Business Bureau rating.

Check their customer service – Be sure you have good communication with the company’s owner or manager. As Canada Print Services advises, “It is vital that they should be trustworthy, professional and responsive. They should be able to take care of your account from start to finish seamlessly and efficiently. Good communication and troubleshooting skills are very important, as well. The company you choose should be able to work well with you. They should know how to listen and cater to your needs. The last thing you need is working with a digital printing company that will make decisions without your consent.”

Pricing is also important – Get a good quality-to-value ratio. Know what competitive rates in your geographic location are. While you don’t want to overpay, choosing the lowest bid may result in poor-quality results.

How can digital printing help your brand?

Digital printing can help your brand get personal and drive revenue, especially for magazine publishers. Digital publishing has revolutionized book publishing, created new forms of direct mail, and allows you to do targeted promotions. Here is what digital printing can do for magazine publishers:

Inkjet messaging – As mentioned earlier, digital printing allows you to get personal. In the United States, most magazine copies are personalized with the help of digital printing technology that allows them to inkjet each copy with the recipient’s name and mailing address. It does not cost you much to add additional inkjet messaging to the cover. It opens up a variety of messaging options for magazines that can be used to drive home their point.

Programmatic direct mail – Programmatic direct mail is a fast-growing marketing approach that announces the kind of content magazine publishers create. Programmatic direct mail is a method that is used to identify website visitors (also prospective buyers) based on their activities – such as clicks, searches and cart abandonment. Taking physical mailing addresses from the databases that link online identities, a customized mailing is digitally printed and mailed to the prospect. The mailer could be a mini catalog or a postcard.

Customized cover wraps – Sponsored or customized cover wraps can help magazines reach highly targeted audiences. For example, copies sent to the waiting room of an ear, nose and throat practice (ENT) can carry a promotional cover wrap of a hearing-aid brand. The cover wraps can also be customized to the extent that it lists the names of dealers nearby.

Print-on-Demand – With digital printing, publishers don’t need to worry about running short of copies. That is the reason why publishers of late have cut down on the number of “just in case” copies. In case of shortage, publishers can switch to digital printing and print the copy in time. It allows the publishers to save money because they don’t have to print extra copies, and they don’t need extra storage space.

The future of digital printing

So, what is the future of digital printing?

The global digital print market in 2013 was estimated to be over 120 billion USD. And, the global digital printing market is expected to reach over 225% of its total 2013 industry value by 2024. The growth in the digital printing market is phenomenal and steady. Here are some of the emerging trends in the digital print industry:

Service improvements – The biggest reason the digital print market is seeing major growth is its ability to offer superior service. Also, it allows businesses to increase their profit margins and opens up new opportunities. Digital printing has also taken personalization and versioning to the next level, which is extremely important in today’s competitive environment. Further, it allows businesses to reach their target audience more effectively. Also, the maturation of Big Data with technology allows businesses to find new pools of valued clientele. Digital printing is also expected to be widely used for packaging and labels.

Inkjet is set to overtake electrophotography – The biggest contributor to the digital print market will be electrophotography, according to a report by Smithers Pira. But inkjet will be the fastest-growing sector in the years to come. Inkjet is set to overtake electrophotography soon, and by 2024, it is expected to account for 53% of the digital print volume and 56% of the total value.

The print packaging sector will experience growth – Digital production techniques are likely to focus on metal, cartons, rigid, and corrugated structures in the years to come. The printed packaging sector is set to see significant growth, both in terms of volume and value in the future.

If you are looking for a digital printing services company, DocuServe has been in the digital printing business since 1994, and we can assure you of delivering high-quality at reasonable rates. From training manuals to catalogs and books, contact us for all your digital printing needs.

eServe - Digital Age of Enterprise Learning

Introducing the Digital Age of Enterprise Learning. Introducing eServe.

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In the enigmatic words of Bob Dylan, “the times, they are a’changin’.”

The Internet has revolutionized the world in all spheres – from the way we communicate and shop to the way we learn and train. Thankfully, this has also opened up plethora of new avenues for education. With eLearning, Internet technology is being employed in a way that makes learning anywhere, anytime and at any speed.

Isn’t that such an exciting concept? No matter where you are at in the world or in the learning cycle, education can meet you where YOU are – not the other way around.

Also, while companies worldwide adapt and grow with e-learning applications, so do the applications and products themselves. There are tools to manage administration, automation, certification and micro-credentialing. Now, there are tools to manage content creation too!

Both the LMS and LCMS are enterprise wide-applications which enhance the flow of information from learning development teams to staff and new learners worldwide.

On that note, we are exciting to announce the development of our very own LCMS (Learning Content Management System). While the LMS (Learning Management System) manages people, the LCMS is a platform manages the content they consume.

And just like the flexibility of the LMS, the LCMS works anywhere, any time and at any speed – allowing you to cater the content to YOUR organization’s needs, rather than the other way around.

Want to know more?

Watch this introductory video to eServe – a tool designed to bring enterprise learning into the digital age.

Dunno

WHAT IS THAT?

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A nostalgic look at tools used every day in the graphics industry.  Let’s just say in a time NOT so long ago…  If you were involved with printing you knew about hot type vs. cold type, what galleys and headline type were.    Do you know what CompuGraphics machines were used for, or when you would use Pro White?  Usage of letter press vs. offset. Or that offset required everything to be pasted down, with rubber cement until waxers were state of the art.  Type galleys, headlines and position only (PO) photos where adhered to boards to be shot by a production camera, which exposed the film which were developed into negatives. The negative where stripped into forms/flats. Photo where shot separately, photos needed to be shot with screens placed at precise angles.  Different screens created different dot size and resolutions. These screened negatives were used to replace the PO images on the flats.  The flats where used to transfer the images to plates. The plates hung on the presses, which using an offset process to move ink from a plate to a cylinder to the paper.

Business forms were pre-printed with carbon paper tipped (glued) between multiple copies.  Organizations would buy the forms at an office supply stores and then take them to a printer for imprinting their company information centered at the top of the form.  Creating a custom form with even consistently, spaced lines took talent and skill, now its copy and paste.  A presentation for a large group meant creating a set of 35mm slides, each one shot from reflective artwork created and colored by hand, now its pick a PowerPoint template and go.  With this in mind I thought I’d share a few images and see how many followers know what they are and if they have used them for creating finish works.

Have these images got you reminiscing for the good (not so) old days?  Share your thoughts with us, over the next few weeks I’ll post more images.  I hope you enjoy looking back.  Please share your images and stories with us, you photos will be included in the follow up post.

Jump back to 2014, DocuServe is a Digital printer, with a state of the art Electronic Pre-Press Department to handle all your production requirements.   DocuServe has been packaging customer content for since 1994.  Re-engineering its deliverables as commerce changed over the years.  Consistently pushing it’s digital print engines beyond what’s expected,  DocuServe grew into media: CD then DVD to USB drive.  To publishing online via PDF file.  Now we can take those stogie PDFs and make them in to user friendly e-Books.  This e-book can be Web based or delivered off line, all dependent on your organizations requirements.

Cloud-Based Content Control Opens Up Opportunities for Publishers in All Industries

With eServe, your organization can experience all of these benefits without risking theft, loss or damage to your intellectual property.

eServe is an ideal solution for:

  • Traditional publishers who need to embrace secure digital publishing to court new readers.
  • Organizations that want to deliver marketing materials across platforms in a more readable and accessible form.
  • Researchers who are looking for a convenient, and secure, way to deliver content.
  • And more!

Docuserve is a Digital printer, with a state of the art Electronic Pre-Press Department to handle all your production requirements.

 

Spies, UNsecured

The Pitfalls of Unsecured Digital Documents

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Over the last few years, I have seen dozens of conversations in professional training forums about digital content delivery strategies, including what formats are most effective, what is required to deliver them, and how these digital formats can be securely encrypted.

Questions like:

Is there any value in a do-it-yourself solution to remix existing third-party material and custom content for delivery to any tablet or mobile device?

What are the benefits of timed content delivery?

I’m researching delivery options for a new learning curriculum. Can anyone share any lessons learned on different delivery models?

Is there content that can be taught most effectively only through a certain medium, such as elearning using mixed digital content vs. traditional classroom training, for instance?

While training professionals should understand these issues and create learning experiences in appropriate mediums, delivery considerations often distract them from what they most need to focus on: creating the content. While many enterprise companies have brought this function in house, small and mid-sized businesses are often without a reliable solution and are winging it. These companies often create simple, easily broken password-protected PDFs and call it a day, leaving their intellectual property up for grabs by their competitors.

When asked about these practices, my colleagues share stories that would give the company legal department pause. If your company’s content and people are what gives you the market edge, why would you leave your playbook in the other team’s locker room? The main response is about time and money. When there are so many options to consider- from ebooks formats and timed- access, to print and sharing considerations, many training professionals don’t have time to wade through the options and develop an organizational strategy.

If the resource isn’t in house, and your company values content security, it makes sense to find a partner who can help you develop an approach to content delivery and security, doesn’t it?  What’s your strategy?

Topics: Secure Content

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