2023 signals a digital revolution in the field of printing. This trend has been slowly gathering pace since COVID-19 shut the high street and reduced the need for commercial print work, as consumers turned to the internet to satisfy their shopping needs.
But this is not the end of the industry. Far from it. The need to adapt has prompted a new level of creativity within the industry, generating quality solutions for clients whilst maintaining a stringent grip on pricing.
Hygiene technology
Despite the rise in online magazine subscriptions, by the end of September 2022, [1] 39% of the UK public were still choosing to read paper magazines and newspapers rather than opting for their digital equivalents. This equates to over 26 million people, which is a significant market size.
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To improve consumer confidence in handling printed material, many printers have been finishing their products with anti-bacterial varnishes and this trend is likely to remain as the British public’s germ aversion is unlikely to wane anytime soon.
Specialist cleaning products such as Anilox cleaning equipment are designed to maintain a hygienic preparation area for printed material and improve the safety of the operators.
Augmented reality
Encouraging customers to move back from digital to print can be a little harder, and with the rise of smartphone camera technology, more and more people are continually storing photographs on their SD card and never printing them.
Augmented reality is a technology that is beginning to gather pace, with even high street providers such as [2] Tesco creating apps that allow customers to visualise themselves in movie scenes then printing off the resultant pictures in store. This increase in footfall is valuable to the shops and a clever way of linking a digital experience to a physical store visit.
Environmentally friendly
When surveyed in March 2022, circa 30% of the British public expressed a desire to improve the environment by purchasing from sustainable suppliers. This figure is expected to continue to rise so printing companies are aiming to recycle paper and choose sustainable and biodegradable products including print cleaning solutions provided by specialists such as https://www.caresonic.com/.
It is clear that print has a strong future, but printing firms need to promote their eco-friendly credentials, take consumer safety seriously and look for innovative ways to improve the digital-to-physical experience.
Resources:
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/379246/magazine-audience-estimate-by-platform-great-britain/
[2] https://www.enginecreative.co.uk/portfolio/augmented-reality-publishing-retail-strategy/