Comments on: Is Offset Print Dead

By: bro

bro — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:42:48 +0000

offset has a huge market overall the world. its quality and cheapness is the most important thing.

By: matbaa

matbaa — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:19:33 +0000

Really nice comments. Useful.

By: Michael J

Michael J — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:40:15 +0000

Consider that the going forward value for printers is in the network. W2P is evolving into a printernet. Lighting Source did 20million titles last year. Average run length: Under 2.

Consolidated has a network of about 70 shops, standardized on Indigos. The work they did for Nat Geo just hints at what’s possible.

Consider: a standards based network of digital printers could mean 50,000,000 Print pieces overnight to local delivery at a minimal carbon footprint. Offset or digital as the job is appropriate.

If Honda, or President Obama could harness such a network, why wouldn’t they. The only real disadvantage of Print as a medium was to slow and not enough scale. W2P has no matured enough so that various printernets are starting to form.

By: Rick Littrell

Rick Littrell — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:31:14 +0000

Your right, Della. But the point that I was trying to make is that offset, as we knew it, no longer exists. Print is being used more selectively. Certain categories of print will go the way of the buggy whips. Yes, some will still make them, but not many will be able to make a living on them.

I think some examples are directories and checks. There is no doubt that both corporations and individuals are changing the way they use print. How many emails vs. cards did you get during the holidays? I would wager (and some of you know that I could be a betting man) that the emails vastly outnumbered the cards sent through the mail.

Thanks for taking the time and it is good to know that there are still many out there that value print.

By: della

della — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:40:56 +0000

Offset printing never dies.

By: Ink cartridges

Ink cartridges — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:03:27 +0000

Many companies make lower end laser printers, even all-in-one units that can scan, print, copy and some even are fax machines as well. Models from HP, Lexmark, Samsung and Brother come to mind with some around the $150 mark starting (around here). There are even color lasers available in some areas for under $300 so nice color printing for low initial investment.

By: Michael J

Michael J — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:20:46 +0000

Hi David,
Thanks for the clear opinion. And to keep the spirited debate going . . .

For the benefit of visitors here, I responded to David at my blog. The short story is that, with all due respect, I think David is 100% wrong. I see K-12 education as a huge new opportunity for digital printing.

here’s the link, if you want the longer story.
http://sellingprint.blogspot.com/2009/03/newspaper-solution-is-emerging-from.html

By: David Howse

David Howse — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:26:36 +0000

Hi Michael,

Education will be dominated by the Web in the next 2-5 years. Schools (comp. sci. and new media programs) are gearing up for the demand in online education and design skills (those who will create the sites/apps/template software).

By: Michael J

Michael J — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:03:51 +0000

David,
You are missing two issues:
1. While using print for advertising, as we’ve known it, is decreasing very quickly, using Print for hyperlocal advertising is working well and will expand not decrease.

2. The larger opportunities for Print is not in advertising, it is in fixing education, health and government.

The longer story is at my blog..http://sellingprint.blogspot.com/2009/03/newspaper-solution-is-emerging-from.html

By: David Howse

David Howse — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:44:10 +0000

I wrote a short economic analysis of press versus e-marekting on my blog.

http://davidhowse.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/the-end-of-print-or-not/

Let me know what you think.

David