Creativity still is king in the printing industry, though Internet-based competition plus the rising prices of paper, ink and other materials are a big concern for many companies.
Orange County printing and graphic companies say their clients today are more demanding than ever. They want creative designs and accurate work,and they want them fast.
Companies have had to adapt to remain competitive.
The Business Journal asked executives at some of OC’s print and graphics companies about the challenges, competition, future and trends in printing. Following is an edited version of their responses.
What are the biggest challenges facing the industry?
Todd Nelson, president, Trend Offset Printing Services Inc., Los Alamitos: Rising prices in paper, ink and other materials in a market where customers are having trouble accepting these price increases.
Steve Wages, chief executive, Juxt Inter-active, Newport Beach: Finding quality talent is near or at the top of the list. With so many talented designers moving to other professions during the advertising slump, now that the industry is hot again, the talent pool has thinned dramatically.
Doug Grant, president, Westamerica Graphics Corp., Foothill Ranch: The economy has been improving in general in California and Orange County. But it doesn’t mean the printing industry is going to grow. There’s still overcapacity in the industry. Plus, we are all competing for a smaller pie. Those who are making marketing decisions have more alternatives to print, such as the Internet.
Jim Witt, executive vice president, Lester Lithograph Inc., Anaheim: The biggest challenges facing our industry are efforts by clients to push prices lower, making printing a commodity buy rather than a custom manufactured product. And there are too many players in Southern California.
Craig Evans, director of sales and marketing, ColorGraphics, Costa Mesa: Complex jobs with very tight turnaround times.
Scott Shuford, president, Big Man Creative, Laguna Hills: For graphic design, the biggest challenge is the reduction in spending on print media, both advertising and collateral, in favor of web marketing and grass-roots promotions. Companies are making room in their marketing budgets to expand web or other digital media promotions by reducing their print media creative and advertising.
How are you adapting to compete?
Nelson of Trend Offset: As a large printer who continues to invest in technology, we embrace new methods to drive out cost in the production cycle.
Grant of Westamerica: We’re investing in technology that will help us improve turnaround times. (Customers) want it fast and of good quality. The other thing we’re committed to is the relationship aspect of print. We’re continually looking to enhance things like scheduling and press checks. We want to give them value, not just a cheap print price.
Witt of Lester Lithograph: Those of us who survived the past three years have reduced staff and expenses, and have become better negotiators for raw materials. We focus on more profitable business niches.
Evans of ColorGraphics: Keeping cost low, and providing our customers with unique, results-based printed solutions.
Shuford of Big Man Creative: The graphic design market for print media is getting smaller and at the same time more universal. Competition now comes not just from other firms locally, but globally. We established Big Man Creative to serve marketing directors rather than to provide graphic design, so as their needs have changed, we also have changed by adding Web design services so that we can meet their needs for anything in print or on the Internet. We’ve been providing both print and web design since 1998. We also are moving into video.
What’s the future of print?
Nelson of Trend Offset: Print is alive and well as we currently see many of the new media (online and gaming) generating new print opportunities. Also, we’re seeing printing continue to be more market specific.
Wages of Juxt Interactive: Print always will be important, even in the “New Media” age, but it definitely needs to be placed within the context of the overall marketing plan. Print is a terrific tool to drive your target audience to the Web, and a thoughtful campaign will create calls to action in print that can be acted upon in other media.
Grant of Westamerica: The future is digital imaging,the ability to merge text and graphics on a one-to-one basis so every image is different. The technology is there now. (Clients want) personalized printing. It’s not just (putting) your name (on marketing materials). You can now customize a piece to have personalized graphics.
Witt of Lester Lithograph: The Printing Industries Association predicts growth of 4.2% for traditional ink on paper print and 6.3% for toner-based print (digital). Most printers seem to be generally optimistic for the next 12 months. A recent PIA members survey predicts a 7.1% increase in all printing in the next 12 months.
Evans of ColorGraphics: Look for even shorter turnaround times and smaller quantities, and more frequent reprints.
Shuford of Big Man Creative: Graphic design really means print and Web to us, not just print anymore. There is a need for quality in design, particularly on the web where anybody can take a few HTML classes and call themselves a Web designer. The ability to make creative work in print, Web and other mediums is going to continue to increase. Print is not necessarily leading the campaign anymore. It is more often an integrated part of the overall campaign. Everything is moving more and more to a digital format.
What are clients asking for creatively for graphics or print work?
Nelson of Trend Offset: Anything that can enhance a quicker turnaround to support our information society.
Grant of West-
america: Clients are continuing to look to see how they can stand out in the crowd. We’re not the only industry that’s hotly competitive. As a result, clients are getting more creative with their marketing materials. We’re seeing things that pop up, fold or have custom pocket folders. The piece has structure,it’s not just a piece of paper. People like to be engaged.
Witt of Lester Lithograph: Creative clients are starting to budget for exotic papers like Reich Shine and more elaborate finishing like spot coatings, die-cutting and creative folding and gluing.
Evans of ColorGraphics: UV-cured printing on uncoated stocks and plastic substrates are increasing in demand.
Todd Purgason, creative director, Juxt Interactive: Clients are seeking to stand out among an increasingly crowded media mix for consumers. So from a graphical standpoint, that means creating a look and feel that will engage the target audience from the first second they come in contact with our client’s brand.
Shuford of Big Man Creative: Logo and identity design will continue to be a shining star in graphic design. Creating a mark images the firm and visually communicates both aggressively and subtly what the firm is about.
