Digital Printing and the Magazine Industry

Date: 2010-02-08 18:15:12

By Stuart Grayson

There is no doubt that technology has changed every aspect of life, especially in recent times. It has changed the way we communicate, we work and we are entertained. This is also the case in the magazine industry. Printing has come a very long way since Johannes Gutenberg printed the bible back in 1455.

Digital printing really raised the bar on magazines. Things such as dye-sublimation and laser printing used to be a big deal but that faded into the background thanks to it. The quality finish of a magazine is far higher than it has ever been before. The images are of significantly higher quality. A lot more crisp and polished.

In terms of assembling a magazine it's a lot easier these days because of the internet. Copies and images can be emailed and then copied and pasted onto the template of the magazine. This is a considerable upgrade from how things used to be. In days gone by you had to send the artwork to the magazine who would then have to scan it.

Additionally some magazines are now outsourcing document services to take out much of the grind work. It means that the magazine can concentrate on what it does best. Instead of having to worry about the printing and all the time that that takes up they can work on the content and selling advertising. From Sports Illustrated to a local work magazine, this makes sense.

Many of the magazines who are outsourcing document services are relying on established print companies. They find these companies to be highly efficient and very reliable. This isn't always the case when it comes to office printers. They can break down and then this is compounded by poor customer support.

While digital printing is very popular, the man on the street actually knows very little about what it entails. As it is digital, no printing plates are required. Additionally significantly less chemicals and paper are used in the process which means that it is a lot cheaper and more environmentally conscious.

It is especially makes sense for small print runs due to its high cost-effectiveness. It doesn't need as much time to set up. If there is a mistake or error, it is a lot easier to make the requisite changes. It just requires a few basic changes and then clicking print. In years gone by you would have to modify the template.

So when there is a mistake in a magazine before it goes to publishing, it is a lot easier to make the corrections. If a late ad is placed on to the page, it is now a lot less disruptive. Previously it was a huge ordeal to take a few inches from an article and it could really disrupt the whole theme of the article. Now you can just make the deletions here and there to eliminate the required amount of words.

Digital printing has changed the magazine industry to such an extent that it would possible to revert to how it was before.


Author

Stuart Grayson is a freelance writer who covers news and events in the business world. Based at RICOH Europe. He is known for his commentary on good business practices and his experience with Outsourcing Document Services for companies of every size.Distributed by http://www.ContentCrooner.com. This articles came from MoreArticles.net.


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