Things to look for in print-on-demand

Recently, the summit forum of “Embracing the Digital Era, Building the Future of Publishing” was held in Shenzhen. At the forum, more than 200 representatives of book publishers, digital equipment printers and printing enterprises in the book industry chain discussed the trend of on-demand printing in China. From the discussion a few years ago, to the last two years in the domestic market everywhere, digital printing in the book category of immersion, although has not been as fast as the use of commercial printing and a shot, but this revolutionary skills have been gradually more and more forward-looking vision of the book publishers to focus on and begin to accept.

For printers and book publishers, on-demand printing is no longer a new concept, reducing inventory, reducing waste, and completing short-run book printing …… For these on-demand printing innovations brought to the book category, as above, people are now familiar with it. But as people’s understanding of on-demand printing skills deepens, and as this skill is increasingly used in the book industry, book publishers are no longer satisfied with conceptual explanations such as the above, they urgently need to see real answers to their doubts and real practical use cases presented.

The “Embrace the Digital Era, Build the Future of Publishing” Summit Forum answered the questions that plagued book publishers, so representatives of book publishers, digital printing equipment manufacturers, and printing companies in the book industry chain discussed the copyright maintenance, profitability, and industry chain integration issues that have received much attention in on-demand book publishing.

How to maintain copyright?

Cloud skills!

“Data transmission methods have changed, how do we know how many copies the printer has actually printed?” “Will copyright be infringed in the data transmission?” …… how to maintain copyright in on-demand printing, which has always been like the highest hurdle before entering the door, forbidding publishers to take this step of on-demand printing. The company’s main goal is to provide the best possible solution to the problem.

Hewlett-Packard’s Asia-Pacific and Japan regional vice president of the printing and information products group, graphics printing solutions business unit general manager Guido van Parag confidently replied that HP has developed a central “cloud production” skills, through the “cloud” to complete From upstream file maintenance to downstream data maintenance at the time of sale. With this, the skill has an embedded module, the publisher through the proprietary software can see the content here, the content can complete the publisher to monitor and calculate the printing status of the book in real time.

“Copyright maintenance is a problem that is encountered in the global book publishing industry and is an issue that publishers pay a lot of attention to. As a veteran IT company, data security is an important pillar of our new form of IT.” Guido van Parag said. It all happens in the “cloud” and is only visible to those who have access. “Having a full suite of data maintenance skills is critical for both publishers and producers, and we’re investing heavily in that.” Guido van Parag said.

On the issue of copyright maintenance, Tiger Color Printing Arts Co., Ltd. has its own knowledge, Chairman Chen Chengsteady said: “Printing enterprises are production platforms, can help the book publisher printing, and even logistics to the hands of readers, but the book number, copyright are still in the hands of the book publisher, the publisher and printing enterprises is a collaborative relationship, on-demand printing is to allow us to complete a win-win situation. “

Where is the new profit point?

Data marketing!

“In the Chinese market, most customers are still focused on how digital printing can optimize their costs and reduce inventory. I trust that in the future, Chinese customers will focus more on how to invent new value in books and content, just like customers in other regions.” When Aurelio Maruji, vice president and general manager of HP’s Inkjet Rotational Solutions Division in the Printing and Information Products Group, said as much, the appetite of the attendees was whetted for what the new profit point for print-on-demand is, beyond what people know. “Data marketing.”

Previously, the reporter in an interview with the government department in charge of the printing industry, he strongly urged printing companies should look farther ahead and focus on the real innovation brought by data marketing in digital printing, “this category completely overturned the previous form of production and profitability of the printing industry, and will be a huge potential of the ‘ gold mine'”.

“In the past five years, when communicating with customers in North America, Europe and the United States, we found that their interests are quietly changing, from the former focus on how to reduce costs, to now they are more focused on how to invent value, how to invent new products, the content of the print to other deeper direction, these can be accomplished in digital printing. “

Aurelio Maruji also recounted examples of HP’s success with data marketing in collaboration with customers in North America, Europe and the United States. “Some of our companies mainly engaged in educational book publishing, profit form has now changed, in addition to the paper version of the book, they also launched a digital version of the book, the two versions together, digital version of the book at first just to meet the more personalized needs of readers. What I didn’t expect as a result was that the digital edition of the books brought them more value than expected.” He thinks that the situation will be different in each country, “but I trust that China is also crossing over towards the same scenario we see in other countries.” Aurelio Maruji said.

How do you connect post-press equipment?

Near the line or connected!

Digital printing is good, but it still needs many supporting skills to assist. The reporter saw at the Tiger Color on-demand printing production site, used as cutting and gluing post-production equipment and not as the first on-demand printing production line of Jiangsu Phoenix Group in China as the whole production line connected design, but the use of close to the near-line method. Visit the site, when the reporter to HP’s sales representative to ask questions about this, he replied, “many reasons,” but the closer line more flexible is certain.

Hewlett-Packard Limited Printing and Information Products Group Digital Printing Greater China General Manager Xu Man said, digital printing presses as the central equipment in on-demand printing, equipment manufacturers in the selection of collaborative partners is also very serious, especially we are most concerned about the selection of post-press equipment collaborative partners.

Take the Tiger Color Company introduced at this forum as an example, Xu Man said, their post-processing process is very complex, folding, cutting, binding …… whether the post-press equipment manufacturer can keep up with the development of the profession is very important, to have a forward-looking vision. “You have to see if it has innovative ideas and if its products can keep up with the needs of digital printing development. For us, to select a collaborative partner is to see whether it can keep up with the steps of the development of the profession and whether its products are accustomed to the development of digital skills.”

In addition, after-sales service is equally important. Print-on-demand as a highly automated workflow, any one aspect of the shortcomings will affect the normal operation of the entire production system, so the ability of each equipment manufacturer to handle the trouble is critical. This requires the manufacturer to have a well-trained service team. “You have a good product, but not without a Chinese service team.” Xu Man said.