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All Eyes on a Digital Future


By Dan Marx, Vice President, Markets & Technologies, Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA)


Printing is in a long, drawn-out process of conversion from analog to digital technologies. While the amount of analog printing—be it offset, screen printing, flexography, etc.—rep- resents a majority of the print done today, one cannot discount the


approaching, profound change. The Magazine 12


WINTER 2017


The foundation of SGIA’s membership and technol- ogy base is in display graphics and signage, where wide-format digital technology has revolutionized the way these product segments are designed, pro- duced, and delivered. Digital technology—primarily inkjet technology—has not only replaced its analog predecessor, but has also facilitated the creation of new markets, product areas, and applications.


For some, like graphics and signage producers, digital technology is not new. It is now the primary technology for this segment. For others, digital print- ing technologies are just beginning to establish a foothold. Developments in inkjet technology, partic- ularly where it has delivered higher print speeds, are bringing long-discussed possibilities into the realm of today. In the past couple of years, single-pass inkjet systems have been introduced that offer a competitive alternative for some publication printing. That, coupled with the fact that target marketing has resulted in shorter run lengths, even increases the competitiveness of the opportunity.


The same holds true in the printed packaging in- dustry, where several equipment manufacturers have introduced (or will) full-color, single-pass sys-


tems for corrugated packaging. These systems will deliver the same benefits—short runs, full color, sim- pler process, lower labor costs, less inventory—to an area ripe for change. While most printed packaging produced today is done using analog methods, most print professionals in this industry segment can see the profound changes digital printing will bring, not only to corrugated, but also folding carton, flexible packaging, and other areas.


The timeline for analog-to-digital changeover in different industry segments is variable depending on the “readiness” of the technology, the receptivity to change among those using the analog systems, niche opportunities, or increased margin. In the display graphics and signage segment, the changeover took nearly fifteen years. In the ceramics segment, the changeover took about two years, driven by shorter runs, higher customization, just-in-time delivery, and eliminating the need for overproduction. Fur- ther, these devices integrated efficiently into existing production lines. Over time—and at different speeds— other industrial segments requiring the decoration or marking of parts will follow the path of the ceram- ics industry.


Printing is actually much broader than most printing professionals consider it to be. Some of the technolog- ical changes that will profoundly affect what we do today—and tomorrow—may be taking place in other segments we don’t know and may never serve. What the printing industry does will continue to change. The result—an industry that is less a craft and more a science. Less a skill and more a process.


Dan works to raise awareness of existing and emerging imaging technologies and helps printers and their customers identify and adopt new technologies as a way to access lucrative market areas. Contact him at dan@sgia.org.


INSIGHTS


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