Digital Printing Technology in Use

Schneider says when making the decision on which length of print run to use various printing platforms, it’s best to consult with your printer. Page count and number of impressions are decisive factors. Also, toner-based digital presses may require special paper.

Other Uses of Digital Print

Magazine conglomerates are experimenting with hybrid, totally personalized magazines tailored to customers’ favorite sections from different titles. Another big use for digital variable printing has been collateral for corporate or advertising projects, often driven by customers on the Web (Web-to-print). R.R. Donnelley is also looking at ways to work digital printing into the fulfillment process, especially for package inserts: “based on what’s in inventory and what the customer’s already bought, creating an on-the-fly clearance catalog that goes in the box,” Schneider says. The problem, she explains, is whether, as the box comes down the line to ship, you have the real-time data you need to match the customer’s want with what you have.