The Value of Variable Data Printing

There's a bright future for in-plants able to produce variable data output and on-demand printing.

By Ryan Crist

With any new technology, there are doubts as to whether it will work or stick around. Take laser discs, for example. We all know those didn't last too long before the development of the smaller DVD.

Digital printing, however, is not new any more. One of the big questions digital printing has made us ponder is whether or not it will replace traditional offset lithography. The answer is no. Digital printing serves as a sophisticated compliment to offset printing, and it's meant for targeting different audiences.

For example, many organizations produce pieces that contain a static offset shell with the inside containing personalized information, printed digitally. Current digital presses cannot produce the same sheet size as many offset presses, but their quality is very close in comparison.

Digital printing is focused on two main areas of production. These are variable data printing and on-demand printing. Both areas have a tremendous future, not only in the transaction print business but in the marketing industry.

Variable data printing will enhance the convergence of several technologies. In conjunction with this, streamlined data processing will incorporate Web-to-print and print-to-Web campaigns. Streamlined data processing is an electronic data interchange where information on a company's consumers is constantly being fed into a database for printing. Essentially, the data stream acts as a trigger for creating follow-up communication.

Using Both Print and the Web

A Web-to-print campaign means taking information received on a company's Web site and using it to print a customized print piece. A print-to-Web campaign is using a database that is not from the Web site and encouraging customers to visit the company's site.

With this high complexity of

direct mail, and as companies acquire a stronger database, this will lead to a reduction in mass mailings. Variable data printing allows more focused mailings that speak directly to the customer.

This increase in VDP will reduce the cost per acquisition. If you are producing a just-in-time variable piece or a Web-to-print static piece, this will also lead to a reduction in both waste and outdated messages.

The other side of digital printing, on-demand printing, has significant growth opportunities. One primary market for on-demand printing is book publishing. On-demand printing has significantly reduced the quantity of books in production, but has also allowed an increase in titles. The use of on-demand printing has created a lower cost of entry to the book publishing market for authors.

On-demand printing has also made versioning possible—making short-run templates for a job that can be used for future jobs. For example, a manufacturer needs manuals to accompany installation and support. To reduce the inventory of manuals, a company could produce templates that can be used on an on-demand basis for its manuals.

The technology of digital printing is ever-changing. Variable data printing requires an entirely different file format. Languages like VIPP, JYLT, VPS, and PPML have created confusion over the best format to use. Currently, some printers only support their own native language. The file format in digital printing will move towards a PPML-based language with significant weight on PDF. Currently, PPML/VDX is a PDF-based format but is used on a select number of digital presses.

There will be a need for a universal VDP format as PostScript is native to offset printing. This shift toward a universal language has developed a market for outside marketing agencies to develop and design a variable piece and send it to a print provider for production.

The future for digital printing is very bright and will bring new ideas and developments. Having a strategy is key to investing or expanding your operations in digital printing.

Furthermore, it is vital to stay on top of the trends in both the technology and the marketplace to attain the higher ROI and the lower cost per response. Education and research for industry professionals is critical to allow them to use this technology effectively. There may be a large up-front cost to provide cutting-edge systems and solutions, but the value will be passed onto the customer resulting in higher sales margins and increasing the lifetime value of the customer. IPG

Ryan Crist is the director of development for variable data printing at FLAAR at Bowling Green State University. FLAAR is a non-profit educational and research institute whose mission is to nurture the global market for large-format digital imaging. FLAAR has expanded to study variable data printing and short-run digital presses. Visit www.variable-data-digital-press.org. Or contact Ryan Crist at:

ryan.crist@gmail.com