As 2022 continues, we can see that it’s a year with many surprises and challenges. In production printing many new trends have come onto the scene to impact the way that print shops and other businesses are using print technologies.
The evolving print industry constantly introduces both new opportunities and new challenges to stay competitive and remain profitable. Print production in particular is under intense pressure to meet increasing demands while also expanding and enhancing services to provide even more value for customers.
Here are some important trends in production printing to watch out for as of 2022 and beyond:
1. Supply Chain Challenges and Digital Print
The supply chain’s challenges that started with the COVID pandemic in 2020 have continued on into 2022. We expect the supply chain to be at least a little bit erratic (or potentially worse) for years to come. This means that many ecommerce businesses and others are looking for flexible ways to use printing for their business. Being able to digitally print on the fly versus ordering set print products in advance can be one way that businesses are adjusting to supply chain fluctuations.
For print shops, this can be a challenge in terms of getting and maintaining a consistent clientele, but it also speaks to an opportunity to provide flexible printing for customers. Small batch printing rather than large print runs may be in higher demand now and in the future.
2. Automation for Printer Workflows
Production print shops can improve operations as well as the overall bottom line by instituting automated workflows. These could include web-based automation. Automation can reduce or even eliminate repetitive, tedious tasks that do not require a human being constantly monitoring the print run.
But automation can go beyond just the printing itself. It can include establishing web-based ordering and better customer workflows to enable cost and time savings. Document Management Solutions can also help automate the process of managing, filing, and storing documents, including digital archival options instead of physical storage.
3. Increased Cybersecurity Threats for Production Printers
One of the negative trends we are seeing is the increase in cybersecurity threats. Unfortunately, printers (including production printers) are still a major blind spot for many businesses, but they are prime entry point for hackers to get into the broader corporate network. Production printers need to be secured to make sure that they aren’t attacked and abused by hostile actors.
4. New Ink Technologies: Ecological and Adaptive Inks
Many customers are looking for something new and different when it comes to the printed page. This can include adaptive inks that expand on traditional CMYK capabilities. Unique colors such as gold, white, silver, and clear are now in more demand, but at the same time ecological links that are more sustainable are also something that many customers are clamoring for.
People may be aiming to print less, so if they do print something, they want it to be something that stands out, but also want the printed page to be as sustainable as possible.
5. Managed Print Services
Managed Print Services (MPS) have been around for a while, but they are a newer trend for the commercial and in-plant print production space. MPS solutions can be leveraged to manage more than just the hardware. The right MPS provider (like Doing Better Business) can also be instrumental in optimizing and streamlining print workflows. This enhances productivity while maximizing output and at the same time reducing costs significantly.
One of the things that separates Managed Print Services is its ability to provide accurate metrics on what is actually happening with the production printing fleet. Plus, print shops can monitor how much is being printed and whether the end result is actually worth the investment in paper, ink, and resources.
The Best Production Printers for Your Print Shop or Business
If you are interested in getting the best production printer, contact Doing Better Business. We offer demonstrated expertise, deep industry knowledge, and optimization solutions to help improve your production printing. Our PROS Elite certified team members can provide the right expert advice to help improve your success. Doing Better Business partners with the top leading-edge production printer brands, giving you the confidence that you will be using the best in printer technologies. Our Managed Print Services can also keep your production printers well-maintained and functional.
Doing Better Business can make choosing production printers easy with our expert print consultation services. We also offer Managed Print Services Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out how we can help with the best in printer technology solutions.