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The Future of Offset Printing

Bob Hall
Executive Editor, Quick Printing magazine

I just got back from the Sir Speedy/PIP Printing convention in St. Louis. Other than it being hotter than the hinges of Hades, it was a fun time. Once again I was confronted by a few folks wanting my opinion on the future of offset printing. They quoted such stalwart gurus as Frank Romano in predicting that offset was on the long downhill slide into irrelevance. I replied “Balderdash” or words to that effect.

Sure, digital printing is where the growth is and digital printing will wind up with more and more of the “marks on paper” work we do. However, at the same time that digital is capturing a larger percentage of the information communications market, that market is getting is getting larger. Some of that new information will stay in electronic form but there will still be a robust and growing appetite for printed stuff — whether digital or offset.

Bottom line is that offset — while accounting for a smaller percentage of overall information communications — will continue to account for a big bunch of dollars for the foreseeable future.

Remember, as long as you take in work in digital form, your customers will see you as a digital printer whether you output on an iGen3 or hang CTP plates on a Ryobi or Heidelberg press.

6 Responses to "The Future of Offset Printing"

  1. Hi .. this is a brilliant find. Thanks for
    sharing the great info with me.
    What’s interesting for me is the more
    I read your stuff the more I find this
    blog (post) so helpful……
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  2. Hi .. awesome find…This is a must read for me,
    Thanks for sharing the great info with us all.

  3. Interesting,informative,A1

  4. I’ve thought that offset printing had little future.

  5. Nora Zohrabian

    I am trying to print a document that has some orange writing and imagery on a purple background. How do I set the document to have the orange objects and text appear as their true color (like on a plain white backgourn) as opposed to looking like it is blending with the purple?

  6. I do strongly believe that offset and digital printing will coexist in the near future

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Private: The Future of Offset Printing

Bob Hall
Executive Editor, Quick Printing magazine

I just got back from the Sir Speedy/PIP Printing convention in St. Louis. Other than it being hotter than the hinges of Hades, it was a fun time. Once again I was confronted by a few folks wanting my opinion on the future of offset printing. They quoted such stalwart gurus as Frank Romano in predicting that offset was on the long downhill slide into irrelevance. I replied "e;Balderdash"e; or words to that effect.

Sure, digital printing is where the growth is and digital printing will wind up with more and more of the "e;marks on paper"e; work we do. However, at the same time that digital is capturing a larger percentage of the information communications market, that market is getting is getting larger. Some of that new information will stay in electronic form but there will still be a robust and growing appetite for printed stuff — whether digital or offset.

Bottom line is that offset — while accounting for a smaller percentage of overall information communications — will continue to account for a big bunch of dollars for the foreseeable future.

Remember, as long as you take in work in digital form, your customers will see you as a digital printer whether you output on an iGen3 or hang CTP plates on a Ryobi or Heidelberg press.

One Response to "Private: The Future of Offset Printing"

  1. Len Schuman

    Offset is alive and well, here is an example of a thriving print company http://www.econoenvelope.com

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