To print or not to print (digitally)? Innovative digital printing characteristics and their degree of penetration in print media markets

Digital printing systems are widely established in traditional as well as in newer companies oriented toward print media production and publishing. The establishment and the operation of digital printing systems within these companies is undertaken with the aims of entering new markets, gaining new customers and increasing profit. In particular, innovative digital printing characteristics such as shortrun, print on demand and variable printing appear to offer the possibility of producing added-value products in print media markets. However, data provided from various studies and surveys, conclude that the penetration of digital printing in print media markets, in as far as these characteristics are concerned, have not yet reached their potential. This paper explores the possible reasons for the less than expected take up of digital printing and its disappointing degree of penetration in print media markets. Among the factors investigated are: the maturity of the market, customer behaviour as well as the application of appropriate business models. In particular, this paper explores the printer-customer-end-user relationship and their interactions within existing business models which originate from the traditional graphic arts production chain, in order to ascertain whether existing business models are sufficient for facilitating digital printing or whether new models need to be developed and applied. The results of three case studies of graphic arts companies with regard to their policy and practice concerning the application of innovative characteristics and digital printing technologies are used to document the hypotheses formed. The importance of these business models to the content industry will be shown, in terms of their relevance to the issue of cross media, with regard to media production techniques.