A new year is setting in, and print technology is more prominent than ever to modern businesses.
Companies of all sizes and from all industries still rely on their print fleet. And given how things are trending, it’s likely that print processes will become even more crucial in 2023.
This is due to a combination of business technologies, some that support print hardware, and some that directly influence the process itself.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the key tech trends in the print industry and how they’re benefiting businesses that adopt them.
Cost-Efficiency Through Managed Print Services
If there’s one topic that businesses bring up quickly when it comes to their print fleets, it’s costs.
The print industry is massive despite a slight dip during 2020. Valued at over $77 billion, it’s a field that brings plenty of revenue potential if expenses are managed carefully.
Managed print services function as the holistic solution for handling all costs and complexity associated with print fleets. These boutique options provide hardware, software, support, and more. Arguably most important of all, they provide companies the chance to monitor their print activity and spend closely, so they can balance costs and productivity perfectly.
Cloud Printing – The Future of the Industry?
If there’s a supporting technology that helps companies manage print needs efficiently in 2023, it’s the cloud. As digital transformation takes hold to a greater degree than ever before, companies are facing new challenges.
They need to provide decentralized print access with centralized security controls. They need to scale up smoothly while keeping their fleet tailored to the core needs of the company. Cloud platforms provide the visibility and flexibility needed to support the evolution of modern print technology.
Versatility in Printing via Wide Format Print Technology
Companies are looking beyond the basic dimensions offered by the standard office printer. Now they’ve set their sights on bigger creations, which can only be achieved via wide format printing.
These printers are capable of producing large posters and signage, blueprints and schematics, plus more. In an age where advertisers find that physical prints are a solid differentiator in a world of digital first marketing, these prints have an enormous amount of profit potential.
Production Printing
Let’s not forget the profit powerhouse that is production printing. Advancements in print hardware and ink quality are producing stunning creations that companies from all fields can utilize.
Some of these include magazines, photos, newsletters, books, brochures, flyers, and more. These machines are not just optimized to create dazzling color combinations with great accuracy and minimal-to-no running, but they’re also equipped to crank these out at a high volume.
This means the company that needs a heavy load of prints for their next project can likely find what they’re looking for with a managed print partner.
The Continued Digital Transformation of Print
The print industry is going through the digital transformation process just like all fields are – but the impact doesn’t just stop with the implementation of software programs to manage print access and cloud platforms to host them.
In the e-commerce age, commercial print needs are seeing higher demand. Print specialists can now function as value-adding partners who receive orders from fellow businesses online, and produce everything from advertising materials to custom packaging for them.
Online print orders will become more common as the year progresses, and print manufacturers will also be expected to showcase their newest models (and the models’ capabilities) online.
New Technologies That Give and Take
Some of these new technologies are already on the market right now – or at least in the development and testing phases where we can see them in action.
One is the sheetfed printer. This powerhouse of a machine requires some serious space and energy to run – but as its name suggests, it can feed papers into print flows at a rapid rate, resulting in a considerable output capacity that could lower costs for high-volume jobs.
But perhaps the most fascinating print technology on the horizon is the erasable print. After being in development for several years, these units are seeing more widespread use on the market. Their design is inspired by pilot pens, and the erasable mode utilizes a special blue ink that can be effectively removed by the machine, allowing users to save paper, reduce costs, and be more sustainable.
Pick a Managed Print Partner You Can Grow With
There are plenty of exciting print innovations on the horizon in 2023 – to take full advantage of all this print technology and reap full benefits from it, more companies than ever are looking to experts.
Doing Better Business is a managed print partner you can grow with. Whether you want to optimize your existing print fleet, build a new one, or just prepare for the industry’s coming innovations, we’re here to help – contact us to get started.