We try to predict what’s in and what’s likely to be trending in 2021.
In the face of this global pandemic, the commercial printing industry has been able to respond quickly and effectively to market demands and, as the economy tries to get back on its feet, we can try to predict what 2021 will bring to print marketing.
Trends in Commercial Printing for 2021
Thanks to advanced technology, print media is expected to hold its ground throughout the year. The overwhelming amount of information in the digital sphere can easily push your message aside – often it can be ignored or deleted. With print, however, you can separate yourself from the crowd.
Printed marketing materials allow for a deeper level of engagement. For example, a potential customer can see the beautiful visuals, feel the texture, and smell the ink of your brochure. They will have no such experience with a digital ad.
1. Direct mail campaigns
Direct mail campaigns are effective forms of reaching out to new customers, inactive customers, and existing customers alike. They are relatively inexpensive and feature custom designs that keep your company in the public eye. Direct Mail campaigns are expected to continue on an upward trend in 2021.
2. Mail list sourcing
Companies take advantage of mailing lists to increase their exposure in the community. Businesses such as restaurants, gyms, and retail stores have been offering special event coupons to local residents for over two decades, for example, and now it is easier than ever to customise these lists to target a specific demographic based on age, income bracket, or lifestyle.
3. Design services
Printing companies are beginning to see the value of offering design services. Even small printers now have their own in-house graphic designer or a digital print expert. Growing this area of the business allows commercial printers to stay competitive in the market because, rather than relying solely on income from printing, they can homogenise the business customer experience at the same time as earning additional revenue from logo design, page layouts, retouching photos, and even website design.
4. Shimmering
Shimmering is one of two production techniques that are expected to trend in 2021. This multi-part process creates a unique 3D effect that highlights one or more areas of a print design to make them stand out from the rest of the page. Shimmering is in high demand for restaurant menus, wedding invitations, and business cards, to name just a few applications.
5. Laser cutting
This technique provides the same dramatic effect as shimmering but is more intricate, which is why 2021 is its year. Laser cutting is growing in popularity for creation of invitations and holiday cards as it allows printers to accurately outline even the most complicated design details with a unique textured effect. When finished with gold or coloured foil, laser cutting delivers an elegant, stylish, finished product.
6. Print-ready artwork sources
One of the most critical areas of commercial printing is the resolution of the source image. In the past, designers often had to request new artwork from the customer because the resolution of the submitted image was too grainy or pixelated and therefore not print-ready. For this reason, the most desired source images are high-resolution Adobe InDesign versions.
Thanks to smartphone technology and advanced cameras, it is now easier for novice users to provide print-ready artwork for commercial printing, shortening the design time. This bodes well for both customer and the printer to keep costs low while increasing revenue.
7. Increased recycling efforts
The commercial printing industry is notorious for paper waste – an unavoidable cost of doing business. Just one printed job on a high-speed copier or press can produce up to 50 sheets of waste. And then there’s the ink.
Mixing ink and setting rollers or die sheets can require several trial-and-error test runs. There has been a concerted effort among the major players in the printing industry to reduce the amount of waste produced by these machines and Jennings Print is no exception. Likewise, paper scraps are being repurposed whenever possible. Rolls of paper are now available in various sizes and shapes to avoid excess cutting.
Inks, toner cartridges, and other printing by-products are also being recycled to prevent additional waste. Many printing facilities will invest in in-house recycling centres in 2021 to reduce waste material in the coming months and years, if they haven’t begun to do so already.
8. Specialisation
Since most printing companies offer the same services, one way to stand out in the industry is to specialise in a particular service. Companies that are able to corner a niche market are in a good position to service other printers in the area. It is expected that many commercial printers will choose to specialise in one area in 2021.
9. Diversification
Many commercial printers started as a small copy store or a printing franchise but, over time, these savvy entrepreneurs have branched out into other areas of printed advertising such as signages, vehicle wraps, and corporate branding.
The most successful commercial printers have expanded on print and grown into digital marketing. These companies are more likely to increase revenue and remain competitive in the industry, especially as The Virus forces us to spend less time outside and more time online.
Jennings Print is here for you in 2021
Digital marketing is one of the most effective forms of advertising with one single campaign reaching millions of prospects. Ad placements in social media are a great example of running a campaign in a loop to reach targeted viewers over and over again for an unlimited time.
There is no doubt that business marketing has shifted more and more toward the world of digital media in recent years. But commercial printing isn’t going to die anytime soon. The print industry remains relevant and even necessary as long as companies use business cards, corporate stationery and promotional materials through political campaigns, large commercial signs, and direct mailers.
Through specialisation or diversification, printing companies can survive market declines and even thrive in these times by offering a product that simply works.
Jennings Print Group is one of the leading commercial printers in Newcastle, offering a diversified line-up of services. Contact us for your offset printing, digital printing, wide-format printing, signage, and graphic design needs this year 2021 so we can help your business navigate the winds of change.