Here’s the theory: typical print shop owners are like frogs.
The question is whether that’s a flat, sun-bleached road-killed frog, a steamy hard-boiled
frog or a happy, thriving frog. What type of frog are you?
Before we get to the frog thing, we need to take a simple look at
the progression of print shop printing:
- Thirty years ago everyone did only offset printing,
- Twenty years ago, some printers started digital printing, but it was still mostly offset,
- Ten years ago, many printers were doing offset and digital - and many “digital only” quick printers were popping up,
- Now, more and more print shops are dumping their offset equipment and outsourcing their offset printing…keeping the digital printing in-house
Of course, there are always exceptions, but you get the
general idea. There's no question that digital printing is overtaking
offset printing at an accelerating rate. There’s no question that the face (and
location) of the printing competition is rapidly morphing. In the “offset days”,
printers could identify virtually all of their competitors. The
internet and the “digital” explosion, however, have made the competitive environment much
broader and more complex: on-line print providers, office supply stores, mail
houses and letter shops, mailing stores, the post office, integrated marketers,
quick print shops, and even some customers (doing their own digital printing).
What kind of frog are you?
Flat, sun-bleached road-killed frogs - These are print shop
owners offering only (or mainly) offset printing. Running back-and-forth across
the highway to chase a shrinking number of offset opportunities, it’s only a
matter of time until…splat…offset printing becomes a money-losing proposition
(if it isn’t already).
Steamy hard-boiled frogs - These are digital printers
offering only static printing. They sit contentedly in their pan of water…but, they don’t see that the competition has set the burner on “high”.
They adjust to the increasing water temperature until
one day they find themselves financially boiled.
Happy, thriving frogs - These are digital printers that
recognize the result of sitting in water racing to a boil. They realize
customers increasingly need and use data to communicate...and to print those communications. They understand that
they can get out of the hot water, and into a happier place, by making data and communication easier,
more efficient and more profitable for customers.
OK. Perhaps it’s a silly analogy. We apologize if you
don’t like being compared to a frog, but here' the reality check:
- Anybody can have a digital press these days
- The barriers to digital printing are already very low and falling
- Do you sit in boiling water or are you in a happy data-digital place?
- Do web sites, banners, promotional items or email services put much work through your digital press?
See how we can help you out of hot water.
