All Digital, All The Time

"You just have to look at your overall labor: What does it take to get something done? The fancier the equipment is, the more expensive it is, so you have to find your cutoff point," he says.

Pothier points out that the labor required to run an offset operation is largely eliminated when an in-plant brings in digital equipment. He also notes that with customers becoming increasingly accustomed to the personalization made possible by their own computers, they'll expect the same from in-plants.