2016: Print Meets Digital

2016 was, as was to be expected in a drupa year, a year of big technological improvements. First of all the definitive breakthrough of production inkjet. With speeds which come close to traditional print technology, a colour range bigger than any offset printer has ever dreamt of, and the number of copies can be as few as 1, it is a logical development.

2016 also confirmed that offset is here to stay for the foreseeable future; with more automation, ready to finish prints thanks to UV LED curing and inline finishing such as coatings and foil, offset is the right choice not just for large volume packaging, but also for enhanced print work. A choice which has been made even easier with the new workflows which are independent of print technology.

Thanks to the internet workflow has become global; location, company size, actual print or digital publishing no longer matter in the execution. Multi Channel Publishing, via print/online/social media/apps, is already a standard option for many companies. This is where print and digital meet and the future is bright for both. You don´t need to be a printing giant, there are plenty of scale-able and affordable solutions to meet and beat digital.
Also in 2017 Blokboek.com will be on the lookout for technological developments and will follow and test these and report about them. One of the projects we are working on is social media publishing solutions. Our first experience with LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and ScoopIt are very positive, Google+ and Flipboard not so much as they do not generate dedicated readers for us. We will keep you up to date, also in 2017.

2017 promises to be an exciting year for technology and marketing with highlights such as the Grafische Vakbeurs in Gorinchem, Netherlands, IPEX in Birmingham, UK and FESPA Digital in Hamburg, Germany. Blokboek.com is media partner for all these shows and will keep you informed.

We wish you a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing  you in 2017.