Top Trends For Commercial Printing Companies To Watch

Looking to grow your professional printing service? Here are the top trends for you to watch for commercial printing companies this year.

Don’t assume commercial printing companies are one and the same. Your small business deserves modern solutions that provide long-term business value. Don’t miss out on the latest trends as you prepare for the future needs of your business.

For years, offset printing has been an industry standard. But emerging digital methods are revolutionizing the industry with better quality and speed. Now, digital solutions are opening doors to a new era in commercial printing.

Commercial printing companies leveraging digital solutions are passing greater value to their customers. Digital solutions are cost-effective and support a wide range of formats. The work that goes into a wide variety of deliverables is much less than before.

In 2014, color digital printing earned companies $30 billion in sales. That figure is growing larger each successive year. Let’s discuss some more trends changing the game.

The Transformation of Commercial Printing Companies

You’ve seen how integrated technologies empower businesses. Integrated marketing and creative solutions are doing the same. Outsourcing these integrated processes can be even better.

As a small business, you have limited resources. The internal team you can leverage is smaller than competitors. But you can stay competitive by using third-party solutions.

Your challenge is identifying third parties that work for you. Not all commercial printing companies deliver the business value you need. You must understand your own needs before you choose a solution.

Commercial printing has extended beyond traditional print services. No matter your needs, there is bound to be a solution for you.

The 5 Most Important Trends in Commercial Printing

Forget everything you know about commercial printing. Printers aren’t just selling ink and paper anymore. They offer comprehensive marketing solutions that go beyond anything you could execute yourself.

The following trends are at the cutting edge of commercial printing. First, determine all aspects of your creative needs. Then, consider what these advantages could do for your business.

1. Variable Data Printing

Variable Data Printing (VDP) is a unique marketing tool. It engages customers based on age, gender, interests, or more.

Printers can incorporate a variety of graphic elements personalized for these targets. Software discerns personalized traits for the printing task in real time. This increases response rates while reducing printing costs.

Variable data printing allows companies to adjust all types of content for target markets. This ranges from recipients’ names to different calls to actions. Variable data printing software can change colors, images, and backgrounds as well.

Personalized marketing is highly effective. The cost threshold is not much higher than normal printing.

Variable data printing can be a winning strategy for your business.Its success is determined by your marketing strategy. You must have compelling targeted content for this technique to work.

2. Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) combines print and technology to transform the customer experience. Readers use mobile devices that respond to images on the printed material. The device will “augment” the printed images, providing a dynamic experience.

AR solutions can confer a wide range of data beyond images. This includes sound, GPS data, downloads, or digital assets sent straight to a device.

The applications of augmented reality span from retail stores to bus-stop advertisements. Users in either location can get critical information using a mobile device. They can use the printed images as practical resources in this way.

An advertisement could direct users to restaurants or open a movie trailer on a device. There are countless opportunities for dynamic content that start with this print solution.

Best of all, marketers can collect real-time data to measure performance. They can visualize how potential customers respond to dynamic content. These are a lot of advantages for the cost of a printed ad.

3. End-to-End Systems and Services

Commercial printing companies are becoming one-stop creative solutions. This is a big advantage for small businesses that lack creative resources in-house.

Consider managing creative and print production in-house. You would need creative people and heavy-duty print equipment. You would need the right software for managing these processes as well.

Commercial printers are making this process easier by consolidating these resources. It’s cost-effective because they spread these resources across all their clients. That passes savings to your business and greater agility when launching marketing strategies.

These companies provide a single point of content to manage clients’ creative assets. The commercial printer takes ownership of the whole process, standing behind your campaign.

4. Creative and Marketing Consulting

Some commercial printing companies extend their services even further. They help your company develop unique solutions. Then, they work with your team to develop the best ways to execute them.

These companies offer strategic marketing solutions for their creative content. Assume you’re printing several varieties of mailer content for different campaigns. These companies integrate campaign management for each asset type with their creative processes.

The result is a streamlined marketing solution for each of your creative assets. Your partner pushes deliverables to the market from start to finish. Companies like Masstige Printingare leading the way in direct mail services.

They won’t leave you with boxes of different types of creative content. Your team members won’t have to sort through the mailings themselves. This relieves small teams of labor so they can focus on driving business value.

5. Emphasis on Talent and Culture

Most businesses treat their print partners as a functionary, single-service resource. They retain complete control of creative assets and miss out on their print partners’ talents. In 2018, printers are breaking that mold by putting talent and culture into focus.

Industry is no longer about machine power. Small businesses need printers to meet them halfway when developing creative assets. They need someone they can “work with” to develop the materials they want.

That’s why the print business has become so competitive. Commercial print companies are investing in unique talent to differentiate themselves. You can leverage the appropriate companies to drive better value.

This also means not all printers are created equal. You should ensure potential partners have successes in the areas you need. You should consider what your needs will be in a year or more as well.

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