Most print professionals agree that automation is essential to improve workflows in their facilities. But it’s not all about AI, sophisticated software, and robotics. We must also consider the people who work in the printing industry. How must they adapt, and who will help them learn the new skills they will need to thrive in a modern print operation?

The printing business is no longer just about running presses. Modern print businesses must be data‑driven, automated, color‑critical manufacturing operations. As an owner, executive, or manager of a print facility, you’ll need staffing plans to address the people side of the business.

Brand management isn’t at the top of the to-do list at many print services companies. There are so many other things demanding attention that working on the brand doesn’t seem important. Printing companies often relegate branding to the “when we have time” category of business tasks, which might be a mistake.

It’s possible to run a successful business supported by referrals and repeat business without spending much time on creating and nurturing your brand, but future growth may depend on it. A strong brand establishes a professional image and helps shape the perception customers and prospects have about a printing company.

The path to profitability in printing lies in optimizing efficiencies. It’s almost impossible to achieve reasonable profit levels when waste is too high, costs aren’t under control, and equipment isn’t functioning properly.

Print optimization is all about improving processes to make them efficient, cost-effective, and highly productive. It starts with assessing existing operations to identify whether changes need to be made to equipment, software, administrative functions, or other areas. Perform the assessment before preparing a plan that focuses on hardware and software upgrades, and regular upkeep. The benefits include cost savings, more profitability, and greater competitiveness.

Print company customer expectations now revolve around speed, convenience, personalization, and reliability. Print quality and excellent customer service are still important, of course, but these elements no longer offer the competitive advantages they once did. The changing market demands compel printers to evaluate their traditional workflows and seek opportunities to upgrade technology that enables more automation and digital integration.

The Customer Experience

Online portals, automated quoting, web-to-print ordering, and digital proofing reduce friction throughout the buying process. If your operation has yet to implement solutions like these, now is the time to consider your options. Automation investments you make today will simultaneously improve the customer experience, lower your labor costs, and reduce your dependence on seasoned employees (who may be approaching retirement age).

The worlds of print and digital marketing and communications continue to be more integrated and complementary. Today, no communications manager or marketer would focus on one platform

without integrating its execution with others. It’s simply how consumers absorb information today.

Designing for print and digital platforms can be quite different. They feature various substrates, resolutions, file formats, and production processes; yet the trend is to make projects work seamlessly despite the differences.

Have you ever turned down a job or not secured all the business you can from clients because you can’t execute particular work? Maybe it’s time to consider finding partners who can fill those production gaps.

Outsourcing is a strategy that ebbs and flows according to all sorts of market conditions. But in today’s hyper competitive environment, tight labor market, and less than ideal borrowing climate, it’s something to consider. The key is to approach outsourcing opportunities strategically, so they add value and decrease costs.

Print service providers have experienced a labor shortage of skilled workers for the past decade, and the COVID-19 shutdown exacerbated this condition. While the printing industry faces challenges due to the rapid growth of digital media, direct mail, brochures, and in-store signage remain more responsive than their electronic counterparts. Finding skilled print professionals to produce hard copy marketing and transactional documents is challenging. Fewer college and trade school graduates are entering the field. In this article, we’ll examine the challenges printers face in attracting and retaining qualified employees, as well as strategies to address these issues.

In 2022 OpenAI released ChatGPT and suddenly AI was on everyone’s radar, raising hopes, fears, and confusion in equal measure. Actually, AI has been around for some time, and we’ve all been using some form of it, often without realizing it.

ChatGPT is an example of generative AI, an advance on traditional AI. Traditional AI uses algorithms to execute repetitive tasks or single activities, like translating text, or converting currency. It’s task based. Generative AI is different in that it can create something new. It absorbs vast quantities of content, learns from it, and produces new content when prompted to do so.

Tools like ChatGPT can create sales proposals, blogs, and other marketing materials. A design tool like DALLe can create new designs based on prompts, but also analyze trends, identify user preferences, and suggest design elements that resonate more effectively.