Print Is Alive and Well ... and Changing

Imagine for a moment that we occupy a completely digital world, one in which no one has heard of printing. And then someone makes a discovery: There's a way to grow a substance that can be converted into a portable communications tool. This tool can be used, shared and — get this! — recycled later into a bench.

Renewable? Recyclable? Portable? Is this magic?

It's paper.

But in today's real world, print is degraded for being environmentally hazardous, and it’s downgraded for being un-cool. It has been world’s No. 1 communications medium for so long, we tend to overlook its power.

In a speech in 1994, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates declared that America was at a turning point in communications, quickly moving toward what he called “a paperless society.” He announced, “Soon, we won’t want magazines, students won’t need textbooks, and paper forms will be redundant.”

The print medium isn’t dead, it’s just changing. To maximize its effectiveness, you need to make print more timely and customized.

Anyone who walks into a Barnes ’N Noble — or heck, to the mailbox — realizes that a paperless society won’t occur anytime soon.

Organizations still use print because it delivers. Advancements in printing have made custom content more affordable, as variable data technologies enable companies (just like publishers) to personalize text and images to match each reader’s specific needs, behaviors, buying patterns, and more.

People trust print. It’s credible. They feel comfortable using it. They can’t fast-forward past it. Print doesn’t delete. You don’t need to charge it.

Print is beautiful. It can draw the eye to content and photos with effects and papers that make readers want to touch and feel your message. Print also enhances the impact of other media. Direct mail, poster campaigns and brochures can lead people to websites, videos, and social media sites — and vice versa.

To remain effective, any communication method must deliver messages that people want in a way that's relevant and useful to them. That’s why print can look forward to a long life.

We look forward to maximizing its value for you.