Business and Society 2.0

We see a trend in printing technology to use also the electronic media support. For most of the conventional media, printing technology continues to be offset lithography. Digital printing was considered has having less quality then offset. This is not an issue anymore. From print buyer´s perception, only 25% consider it as unacceptable. In fact, most of the print jobs can be done with new digital technology equipment with an offset quality, except in a few cases. There are new tools like System Brunner´s Proof Check (1) that can measure color and adjust parameters quickly. What can increase quality perception of a printed job is more the finishing options available, like “UV coating, foil stamping, embossing or die cutting on the front or the cover”. (2) Actually the unit cost of digital printing is still higher then offset technology, but for short runs the digital printing is a better solution, mainly due to the high cost of make-ready for the offset. We can estimate the “breakeaven

There are advancements in the printing technolgy. Last Graph Expo 2008 (Drupa) showed some interesting developments. The HP Inkjet Web Press , is one on them. We can see from the HP site (1) some of the features. The HP Inkjet Web Press represents a new product category for HP in the commercial printing marketplace. Specifically targeting high-volume production operations, the HP Inkjet Web Press establishes a unique combination of width, productivity, print economics, and print quality at high speed. Taking our design guidance directly from high volume printers, HP is delivering a Press with a 762mm web that runs up to 122 meters per minute. Width and linear speed comprise the two key elements of productivity, and the HP Inkjet Web Press equation delivers up to 2,600 full color impressions per minute. Additionally, our wider platform will enable printers to bring the benefits of digital to new areas. Book signatures, full sized newspaper broadsheets, and a variety of multi-up formats

In spite of some signals on print jobs growth, like the "Economist, which is growing in circulation by an average of 5.6%" (1), in general, according to the study Digital Printing Directions, printing workload is decreasing and in 2020 is expecteed to be 70% of 1995 volumes (2). This Digital Printing Direction study, from Frank Romano, found there is a trend for shorter runs and faster turnaround times. 45% of jobs are short run and time sensitive while 19% are long runs and not time sensitive. In 2000 the number of print jobs produced in a week was 18% and is expected to decrease to 13% by 2020, while the number of jobs produced in a day or less was 15% in 2000 and is expected to reach 20% by 2020. Frank Romano´s study shows also that in 2000, offset printing technology was 80% of the printing revenue while digital printing only accounted for 5%. In 2020 this will turn to less than 30% and digital printing to growth up to 40%. The trend is also to move from one colour, to fu