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 Plenty for Everyone-Too Much for Many
by C. Clint Bolte
The largest printing and package converting trade exposition on the globe in 2005 drew 62,000 attendees to browse the over 950 exhibitors occupying three quarters of a million square feet and to attend the nearly 80 educational seminars put on September 9-15 at the McCormick Place in Chicago. There was new technology and enhanced equipment for every printer of any size. And for those who have been saving their sheckles in recent years and not investing, the new tech options could be so voluminous as to be nearly overwhelming.
Many of the more interesting and possible impact products will be discussed later. However, there were a few observations gleaned from overheard aisle way conversations that reflect on possible opportunities for select printers in the immediate and longer term time frames, such as: (1) the proliferation of far eastern printers not looking for print buyers but rather potential North American printer partners; (2) the view of many printers that the automated postpress equipment is a superfluous production cost rather than a marketing investment; and (3) the numerous instances of exhibitors using their live trade floor production as philanthropic in kind contributions to Chicago area social service agencies to be sold as fund raisers as well as to elementary schools as part of curriculum support. Let’s consider each a little more closely.
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| Print projects are moving to the Far East but quality problems persist | Far Eastern Partners?
Global commodity-engineered manufacturing has always sought its lowest denominator of cost for specified quality. Many American jobs have and will continue to move to these offshore less expensive countries. Specific printed products that have yielded to this reality have been the less time sensitive “cocktail table” books and assorted types of packaging. In the later case the decision was to move the goods being manufactured to the Far East and the packaging used to protect the finished product naturally went along.
Many of these ventures have been fraught with quality control and digital workflow problems despite the availability of English speaking contacts in the Far East.
RR Donnelley solves these type problems by simply buying a leading foreign printer and installing the workflows that have proven satisfactory in the United States in serving their global clients’ corporate headquarters. For the rest of the printing industry a more practical opportunity appears to be emerging.
Packaging buyers are asking their favored North American printers to intercede in transplanting the proven digital work flows and the quality assurance check points. In many cases the GRACoL standards are being implemented across all borders. This double-edged sword results in the local printer losing major volumes but by taking the high road of cooperation, he is retaining technical consulting revenues and in many cases a facilitation fee based upon the volume of throughput. The consideration also exists for replacement work from this same client.
Mr. Naresh Khanna, Editor of the Indian Printer & Publisher (indianprinterpublisher.com), and Mr. A Jixin, Project Manager for the Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China (chinaprint.org.cn), were both expressed interest in this collaborative approach between printers for the benefit of mutual clients. “A successful project is much preferred to a quick sale,” concluded Mr. Khanna.
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