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On Reading Printweek "Marketing Imbroglio" Digital printing will get a UK boost from the Digital Print World event in November. The event has support from the BPIF and the organisers of IPEX. It will bring new people into the discussion. As I have been involved in meetings at the Digital Solutions Show over the last few years I do question the implied suggestion that the idea of a UK digital printing show is completely new. However, the fact that two shows are possible demonstrates a high level of interest and guarantess that all the outstanding issues will be fully discussed. The Digital Solutions event has expanded the scope of discussion to include workflows for litho printing. There will be less emphasis on digital cameras, a topic now seen as too popular for a business audience. There will be significant overlap between the two events. Digital Print World is based on a PIRA conference which seems to be aimed at litho printers where a digital option is being considered. My guess is that perspectives will have moved on a bit by November and that the case for a digital direction will be much more clear. The most recent evidence for this is a column by Lawrence Wallis in Printweek (17th July). He picks up on an article by Andrew Tribute (Printweek 30 May) in which it was suggested that Heidelberg lacked the resources to continue offering digital presses. Lawrence Wallis sees the MAN Roland decision to stop offering a version of Xeikon as part of the same 'digital dilemma' for both press providers. Lawrence Wallis thinks Heidelberg should persevere with digital because 'the future will witness a significant expansion in digital printing, whereas the lithographic machinery market is mature and seems likely to shrink to some degree in years to come'. So the audience for the Heidelberg section at Digital Print World may not need much persuasion that digital printing has a future. There could be more emphasis on exactly what Heidelberg has to offer. A more general problem is the 'severe marketing imbroglio' that Lawrence Wallis identifies. He suspects that the digital print market is located 'beyond the boundaries of the professional graphics arts' and that Heidelberg may have difficulty in accessing it. The Digital Solutions event has been designed to include inplant printers and has gradually attracted some print buyers and others interested in corporate communications. This may be the direction for print shows. The Print On Demand Initiative (PODI) may get quite technical in looking at XML to link variable data and the Job Definition Format. This may attract as many people from corporate IT as from litho printing. It may be a minority interest anyway, but the point is that print can be presented as part of something else. Heidelberg did have a stand at Digital Solutions in 2001. The Nexpress was represented by some sheet samples and a video. This seems a very sensible approach at a time when a website is at least a strong complement for a trade show. For some reason the approach was a one-off. Perhaps their digital products would have wider credibility if they had continued to attend. Will Pollard Links |
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