Printing on demand: a new market niche

Communication World, Sept, 1995 by Cliff McGoon

What's ahead?

As electronic communication continues to put pressure on print, you can expect further print on demand improvements, especially in terms of higher quality reproduction and lower costs. Also, ever-increasing postal costs almost guarantee that transmitting digital information around the world, to be printed on demand locally, will represent better communication value than mailing completed publications.

Also, the linkup between desktop computer and printing device -- combined with the trend toward more short-run, targeted publications-makes it more likely that the future will see more in-house publication production. The most likely place for this to happen is in the communication department, so it has obvious implications for staff and budgets.

In short, print isn't dead, dying or even seriously wounded -- it's just going to be done differently. For those who stay tuned in, it represents a genuine opportunity.

                  Digital Duplicators      Full Color Laser Copies
Paper Size         4" x 6" to 11" x 17"           11" x 17"
Speed              130 pps per min.             2-3 pps per min.
Color / B&W         2-3 spot colors               full color
Bindery Built-in          No                         No
Resolution          300-400 dpi                  300 x 300 dpi
Best suited for     Newsletter/Booklets          Very short runs
Contact             Riso 508/777-7377            Hewlett-Packard
                    Gestetner 203/863 5499       800/725-0900

                        Kodak Lionheart           Xerox DocuTech
Paper Size               11" x 17"                   11" x 17"
Speed              92 single side pps per min.    135 pps per min.
Color / B&W        "accent" coloring available          B&W
Binderoy Built-in            Yes                        Yes
Resolution                 300 dpi                    600 dpi
Best suited for      Newsletters/Booklets       Multi-location Mags
                                                    and Newsletters
Contact              Kodak 800/255-3434                  Xerox
                                                     203/968-3217