Print-On-Demand and Web-to-Print, What are you waiting for?

For years now you have heard and seen the acronyms POD and W2P. It seemed like a good idea but you just could not figure out how to fit into the limited, cookie cutter approach. It kind of felt like you were being forced to drive your father’s Oldsmobile. The good news is POD and W2P are not going to follow the path of Oldsmobile. No, POD and W2P have evolved to a point that really, anything is possible.

When I first sat down to write this article, I thought of a comment the owner of a film trade shop I used to work at made in 1991. We were a Scitex shop and the only way to get files from the desktop world to a printable form was through a Quark Xpress xtension called Visionary. One afternoon the owner said that someday you would be able to take a 44 meg Syquest disk to a Fotomat type store and get your print job out the other side. The general consensus was that he was crazy. The truth is he was a bit off in his assertion but never-the-less he was thinking outside the box and his thought was really a vision for POD. So we now fast forward to 2011 and in September, we will again see a major print show in Chicago that will be focusing on the continuing evolving technology of digital. Film has been gone for years and plates are following close behind although will not die as quickly and painlessly as it’s predecessor. There will be few “BIG” presses on the floor and everyone will be discussing how their product fits into the “Solution” of POD/W2P. From workflow solutions to output devices, from finishing equipment to software as a service (SaaS) platforms, from business cards to building size large format prints, the focus will be PRINT ON DEMAND.

One interesting reality is that even companies that have been providing these services for years are facing a crossroad of strategic decisions as they move forward. The main reason for this is that the cloud is real and SaaS combined with open source technologies are changing the playing field. What used to be your choice of chocolate chip or oatmeal, has turned into a 17-course gourmet dinner served in bed. Anything is possible, affordable and best yet customizable to your specific needs.

There is still one aspect of the equation that makes the move to a quality program a challenge and that is commitment. These solutions work best when they meet the needs of the end user and defining those needs is often where the development fails. I have had the pleasure of working on several successful programs and in all cases the lines of communication worked both ways and EVERYBODY came prepared. There were no miracles or mind reading. There was no rush to deploy. There was no disappointment.  There was a successful deployment and a program that works for everyone. Everyone is defined as the solution provider, the client and the end users. Anything less is a failed program.

Today there are still three basic types of POD printing.

1. Short run inventory control printing
2. Versioned printing
3. Full variable data printing

There are also few limits to piece size, type or end use. Most every piece of print collateral can fit into a POD program.

Switching to a POD program is likely to save upwards of 20-25% of an annual print budget. This savings will continue to grow as technology continues to evolve and more of the conventional process converts into the program.  Companies often start with the low hanging fruit for early deployment and quickly realize that there is so much more that a program can handle. Years two and three of a program usually result in a program boom. Often companies realize that it is no longer necessary to have that in-plant facility, that art department, that three quote process and add to their POD system. This concept was once described to me like this:  why would you create your own electricity when it is so easy and better to just buy it from a professional and reliable source. Companies quickly realize that they were spending an inordinate amount to “control costs” and were overlooking the hidden costs.

So what are you waiting for? If you are still driving Dad’s Olsmobile it is time to trade it in on a new and improved model.