Fujifilm puts the case for printers expanding their horizons into different product segments in the first of a series of sponsored Graphic Arts Blogs
The concept of an all-encompassing Print Service Provider (PSP) has been around for several years but few have embraced the one-stop-shop concept successfully. Segmentation of printing processes is culturally ingrained from the days of duplicators, small offset, big offset, web, flexography, gravure, screen process, photo-chemical and if you want to go back far enough; letterpress.
With the advent of digital print, came the democratisation of process outputs. Digital unifies and breaks down barriers to entry into markets previously considered taboo – a large sheetfed offset printer would once never have considered becoming a screen process printer as well, unless by acquisition of a going concern business.
With most workflows all-digital today, it has never been easier for an offset printer to re-format design files to an output device, other than the computer-to-plate setter. But should they want to?
Of the multiple possible printed outputs that a PSP can offer, perhaps digital wide-format printing makes the most sense – after investment in a digital sheetfed printer. Digital sheetfed takes care of the customers asking for short-runs of existing offset offerings, printed on-demand and maybe with variable data.
Most customers would not be aware of which process was used to produce the job; one day they ask for 10,000 copies and the next day they want only 100 and it just happens somewhere inside that darkly mysterious place called a print shop.