The print industry has long been at the forefront of innovation. When William Caxton set up the first British printing press - a technological marvel in itself - in the 15th Century, he was quick to recognise the demand for works written in the English language, which unlike Latin was spoken by everyday people. Four fifths of the output of Caxton’s press was written in English - a language that could be read by anyone who had learned their letters. Today, the modern print industry is continuing to offer innovation.
3D Printing
Printing is no longer restricted to the page. Advances in plastics technology mean that three-dimensional objects can now be printed. We’re not quite at the stage of Star Trek ‘replicators’ that can produce any object requested in seconds, but the 3D printing industry has blossomed in recent years. With prices for the technology falling, we foresee this part of the industry continuing to expand in the years ahead.
Print-On-Demand
It used to be called ‘vanity publishing’: an author who could not find a publisher for their book would pay for a print run themselves. Printers often had minimum orders, so the would-be author, lacking a distributor, might wind up with hundreds of unsold copies. However, the publishing industry has changed greatly over the last few years and self-publishing has become more common. With the rise of the e-book, many writers publish their works in electronic format, but many still want to see a printed copy of their work. Technological improvements mean that it can now be cost-effective for printers to print small runs of only a few copies, and print-on-demand books can look very professional.
Customer Choice
Increasingly, customers want more of a say over every aspect of design. Modern user-friendly software means that the customer can play around with typefaces, sizes, orientations and colour schemes before committing to a print run. More-or-less instant communication by email has meant that we can have a back-and-forth conversation with the customer so that they get the design they want and we can make sure that design is optimised for print.
At Colour Print, we will continue to do what we do best in 2016: providing a high-quality colour printing service at competitive prices. We watch developments in other areas of our industry with interest. If you have any printing queries don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our email is websales@col-print.co.uk or you can call us 01603 488001.
