It All Depends on What “Do” Means

We get all sorts of responses when we ask printers, “Do you do VDP?” The most typical responses are “yes” and “not really”. Interestingly, both of these answers are completely honest and most often mean the same thing. It all depends on ones view of “doing VDP”.

Printers answering “yes” most often mean that they can do a sort of simplistic “mail merge” process to put addresses on an otherwise static page. A master page is loaded in the RIP and the variable addresses are printed on top of the master. Technically, that is variable data printing. But, don’t look to do anything like variable graphics or more complex variable text that way. A very small number of printers that answer “yes” actually do do VDP, however few of them would claim that they are highly proficient at it.

Printers that answer “not really” may be doing VDP to the same extent as the ones answering “yes” but the formers’ view of variable data printing includes those fancy variable effects and personalization.

That’s how “yes” and “not really” can mean the same thing – it’s just a matter of ones’ point of view. Much like the issue of whether the glass is half empty or the glass is half full.

Printers answering “yes” to the doing VDP question are in something of a precarious position. If they make it known that they do VDP, a customer wanting full-blown personalization and special effects will certainly appear. Murphy’s Law always applies. Then, what does the printer do?

We provide EZ-VDP brand services so that any digital printer can offer an emphatic “Of course we do! What do you need?” when the question about doing VDP comes up. You no longer need to fear VDP. Embrace it, promote it …and use to grow your business.


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