Variable Data Printing Update

True print personalization — namely, customized catalogs and other tailored direct mail communications — was supposed to be the next big thing five years ago. As the experts said back then, costs will continue to come down, quality will improve and the process will be faster and easier.

All that's happened. So why aren't more people using variable data printing today?

Most marketers still believe it's too expensive. The price may have come down significantly, but a personalized print job is going to cost more than a traditional per-piece rate for a regular catalog — about three times more, by some estimates. And with the economy what it's been, nobody is interested in increasing their expenditures.