Is print dead yet?

No!
Definitely not… But it has changed over the years…

I’m not going to dwell on the history of the printing press – there are plenty of pages detailing the changes over the years. The impact of these changes has seen how the world expects their information to be delivered, and when!

The advent of the Internet, social media and electronic information distribution has changed the reliance on printed material for the latest news. Printing has is seen as a long winded process – pre press: compositing the type in the days of letterpress or preparing the films and plates for litho printing; the act of printing the pages themselves; and then finishing: folding, stitching and trimming the finished product and the physical distribution to the end user. With printing developments this process has been streamlined and newspapers can be printed in vast numbers much faster with web offset litho presses. The news of today could be on your breakfast table tomorrow morning in a printed form.

With the advent of the Internet however, the news taking place now can be on your screen in a matter of moments! So why do we still need the printing process?

There are some things that are still better presented in the printed form – there’s something special about receiving an invitation through the post; a book that you can read in the sun whilst sat in the garden or on the beach; or a technical document that you need to refer to from time to time. Sure, all of these products can be delivered to your favourite electronic device, but sometimes you just need the hard copy!

The technology for printing has moved forward in the last few decades and digital presses are now able to match the quality of the traditional litho printing, with the minimal of pre-press setup required. It’s possible to send a design from the layout application straight to the printer, without the need for producing filmwork or plates. With full duplex printing, and no need to wait for the print to dry before the finishing can take place, the whole process can meet the tightest of project deadlines.

2LO Design work with a number of printers to produce printed material for clients, and we’ll use the most appropriate technology for the project in order to meet the deadline and the budget. Call us today to see how we can help you deliver your message to your customers.