Print is more alive than ever before, with creativity and impact without limits.
Digitization brings with it a revolution that multiplies opportunities exponentially while imposing higher standards that are continually being adjusted. At Ricoh, our extensive experience and vision leads to continuous investment in advanced technologies and a focus on understanding our markets and customers.
Por Mario González, Graphic Communications Ricoh Mexicana
There is no doubt that the printing industry is in full evolution because of changes in the new habits of society, innovative technologies, and applications that are being incorporated into the industry to bring customization, efficiency, and creativity to the sector. One of the major trends is based on the growth of digital printing over offset along with value-added services. According to a recent report1, offset printing in 2015 had a 90% market share in Latin America, compared to 7% for digital. It is envisioned that by 2025, the offset will decrease to a 75% share while digital printing will increase to 15.2%.
The growth of digital printing is because it offers personalization such as variable data management in transactional business and direct mail. It also allows for shorter print runs. Printers are now able to use their printing equipment to create unusual short-run applications such as business cards, small packaging, and ID cards.
On the other hand, today all aspects of print job preparation from design concept, artwork creation, approvals, pre-press, printing, finishing, and delivery of physical or digital, static, or customized media are linked through the internet. This allows print service providers to collaborate remotely and simplify and accelerate processes thanks to specialized workflow platforms that reduce errors and free up resources, saving time and money.
What are the new possibilities in the Graphic Arts sector?
Creative Studio - New colors, creativity at its best: Businesses want to go beyond white toner, clear gloss, and others. Today, innovative, and affordable digital color production equipment is available with the ability to explore creative applications to capture new audiences. They combine printing with larger sizes, heavier weights, and textured substrates to help meet new market needs. Trends are increasingly moving toward short runs of customized packaging, posters, book covers, menus, décor elements, eye-catching luxury marketing materials, and unique event invitations. Ricoh's digital production solutions enable dramatic effects on transparencies, and dark-colored materials, and simulate metallic printing.
Packaging and labels - custom printing: Gone are the days when advanced digital press technologies were needed to create high-impact digitally printed packaging that could be used as point-of-sale materials. Today, there are a wide variety of packaging and label applications where digital printing can be more successful than traditional printing, such as packaging options for focus group testing, color proofing before printing, multiple variant proofs of a product before launch, producing special editions faster and more cost-effectively, multiple product version launches, among others.
Commercial printing - exploring new possibilities: In commercial printing, versatility means an increase in the number of jobs. Digital printers can perform different applications and explore new ways to offer services that are valued by print buyers. A supplier can now take on jobs with shorter runs, adding to the CMYK offering a 5th color station, such as transparent gloss or white toner and special effects; as well as support for an ever-widening range of substrates.
Ricoh's digital printing solutions offer new alternatives and features for commercial printers, allowing printers to provide more services to their customers, adding value to the printed product, such as personalization, multi-channel delivery, and cross-media technologies.
Publishing - overcoming challenges with innovation: Publishers are challenged by declining global print volumes, shorter print runs, tight deadlines, and continued pressure to keep costs down. The fast-paced world of modern publishing demands print operations that adapt to these needs. Ricoh's digital book printing solution is leading the way with high-speed features, high-quality production printing equipment, workflow solutions, and finishing options. The solution is designed to simplify job entry, ease management, automate workflows, and track status to help reduce costs and enable faster turnaround times.
Signage - High Impact Projects: Print providers are also finding new opportunities in one-off job markets, including local event production, food trucks, and even family celebrations increasing demand for a wide range of large format print jobs.
In conclusion, print is truly a changing world and is more alive than ever. It is an increasingly demanding and challenging industry, with a range of opportunities never seen or imagined. Digitization brings with it a revolution that multiplies opportunities exponentially while imposing higher standards that are continually being adjusted. At Ricoh, our extensive experience and vision lead to continuous investment in advanced technologies and a focus on understanding our markets and customers. Today, we have a truly robust portfolio that includes complete software solutions focused on digital technologies, print and process control ,and final customer delivery with cloud-based tools.
