New Developments In The London Printing Industry

Unknown even to some of the most savvy businessmen and women, the print industry is today one of the fastest evolving in the UK. This is down to a number of reasons. In this article we will discover what these are.

First of all, when it comes to London printing companies there are many innovators who are now offering 3D printing as a service. This is a revolutionary new manufacturing method which allows the creation of one off or mass produced 3D objects made from a variety of materials including everything from plastic to metal and even chocolate!

The applications for this are endless. The technology is currently used mainly for creating prototypes, however it has also successfully been used to create production standard parts in the Airbus A380 aircraft!

But what does 3D printing mean to London printing businesses looking to find new avenues of services to offer? Firstly this new technology can dramatically reduce the research and development costs associated with producing new products. Second, because 3D printing is based on computer design, a computer can automatically design an object to a set specification using only the minimum required material while providing maximum strength. This saves weight and materials which helps the environment. This expands the product range that a London printing company could offer, which is perfect for business owners who are looking to diversify. This new cutting edge industry reverses the trend that sees printers as old fashioned or out of date industries.

Aside from 3D technology, many businesses are working to integrate their paper marketing with internet marketing through mixed online and offline campaigns. Again, this offers London printing companies a new way to market their services. Instead of being traditional printers, many have diversified into being full service marketing or advertising agencies, often specialising in leaflet mailing as well as online advertising to support this.

It has resulted in these companies being able to sell their products at higher margins, since the service is much more far reaching and useful to customers. They no longer have to compete on price, since the customer will usually see the benefit of needing only one company to deal with for all their marketing and advertising needs. As many experts say, time is a more scarce resource than money, and this is the main benefit of such a service.

A final major shift in the industry is more boutique London printing businesses. This is because paper marketing is no longer as wide spread as it was, so the market has shifted from wanting high volume – low cost products to smaller numbers of high quality items which are only sent out to the most qualified buyers. This is a method chosen by smart marketers who plan their strategy highly rather than carpet bombing marketing. The result is a lower over all cost and a higher conversion ratio. This, coupled with a merged online and offline marketing initiative, is helping a lot of companies become very successful, proving that there is still a place for print in this automated, electronic world.