1. The last few years has seen a proliferation of new approaches to
printing technology, how can these ‘next generation presses’
improve the prospects of print-service-providers?
When looking at changes in print technologies and how they will fit the
market, it is necessary to first look at the market....
Itcan not have escaped the notice of anybody living today, that
"productlife cycles" are shortening and that marketing is becoming
more personalised and real-time.
The old 1960's term"planned obsolescence" has never been so apt. This
applies to practically all products today, but is particularly noticeable in
the technology sector.
Itwas possible, even a few years ago to invest in the latest laptop,
mobile phoneor TV in the knowledgethat it would remain the latest
technology for a year or two. Now – in someinstances, you will be lucky
to maintain that status for 3 months!
In addition to the shortened productlife cycle trends, consumer and b2b
productmarketing has increasingly become personalised in order for
companies to offer differentiation and to increase the consumer's brand
value.
A good example of this was the recent Coke campaign and specialty cans
with an individual person's nameon each can!
Itis no wonder, then, that the modern day print-service-provider is
being asked to providesmaller, cheaper, and faster, print runs.
Marketing departments will no longer stockpile productbrochures,
productlabels, posters etc. because they know that they will have a
high costof wastage, as products specifications change. This makes it
essential for the modern print provider to be able to offer printed
materials in shorter, morecustomized, run lengths.
The inexorable move to digital print will be hastened by this marketing
change.

2. Traditional analog print methods such as flexo, litho, and screen print
are not yet being completely replaced by digital methods, but, rather,
augmented by them, and the savvy printprofessionalis embracing this
change.
Digital methodology is now being incorporated alongside traditional
print methods, and each will have its place. Undoubtedly, the balance of
power will shift in time towards the digital methods as they become
more and moresophisticated and affordable.
Inkjetis the technology of choice for most digital OEM's and we have
seen developments like the Memjet® head, with 70,400 nozzles, but
costing less than older printheads with 256 or 512 nozzles, cometo the
fore, with the inevitable imitators following on this trend.
What will follow inkjet? Molecular rearrangementof the media
perhaps?
Gordon E Moore, in 1965 puthis mind to the changes happening in the
computer hardwareworld. Hepredicted that computing power would
double every 2 years.
His predictions were, in 1970, given the name "Moore's law" by Carver
Mead, a Caltech professor, who was ableto observethe accuracy of this
- and it has continued to prove accurate over the past49 years.
There is no such prediction for digital print speed/resolution/costover
time - maybe there should be - anyone care to make a forecast?
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law