Printing Industry Center at RIT Article Series
Dedicated to the study of major business environment influences in the printing industry brought on by new technologies and societal changes, the Printing Industry Center at RIT addresses the concerns of the printing industry through research initiatives and educational outreach. The Center creates a forum for printing companies and associations worldwide to access a neutral platform for the dissemination of knowledge that can be trusted by the industry, to share ideas, and to build the partnerships needed to sustain growth and profitability in a rapidly changing market.
Correlates of Job Satisfaction
By Ashley Walker and Patricia Sorce, Ph.D.
The printing industry is in a human resources crisis. With the upcoming retirement wave of Baby Boomer employees, the industry has as many as 5,000 jobs to fill annually and they are having a challenge finding qualified young people to apply. Baccalaureate programs in printing and graphic communications are also finding it difficult to attract applicants to their programs. Even within those who express interest, a large percentage are initially interested in graphic design jobs as opposed to production, workflow or scientific jobs associated with the industry. Continue reading...
Exploring the Image Quality Gap - Part B: Results & Conclusions
By Susan Farnand
The goal of this research was to examine the current gap in image quality between high-end digital printers and offset lithography and to develop an idea of how important or relevant this image quality difference is to the end user through the use of psychophysical experiments. An investigation into image quality parameters that are particularly relevant in comparing print systems technologies was also conducted. Continue reading...
Exploring the Image Quality Gap - Part A: Introduction & Methodology
By Susan Farnand
The goal of this research was to examine the current gap in image quality between high-end digital printers and offset lithography and to develop an idea of how important or relevant this image quality difference is to the end user through the use of psychophysical experiments. An investigation into image quality parameters that are particularly relevant in comparing print systems technologies was also conducted. Continue reading...
Benchmarking Insert Advertising Effectiveness Metrics
By Patricia Sorce
The purpose of this study was to determine the advertising metrics used to measure the impact of inserted media advertising by retailers. In addition, hypotheses tests investigated whether those retailers who measure results of their advertising make different kinds of decisions than those who do not. Continue reading...
Web-Enabled Print Architectures
By Adam Dewitz
The purpose of this study was to analyze the current state of Web-enabled print within the printing industry. The research examined a number of print service providers utilizing Web-enabled print systems. This examination led to the development of an instrument for looking at Web-enabled print service providers. The instrument was then used to analyze a number of print service providers, providing insight into various approaches to developing the Web application processes of a Web-enabled printing system. Continue reading...
Survey of Digital Press Manufacturers: Critical Paper Requirements
By Howard Vogl
The purpose of this study was to identify constraints and potential solutions for improved performance and quality of digitally printed papers. From a device manufacturer standpoint, this research sought to understand the characteristics that are important to successful printing and the various elements that make up the total value proposition presented to print customers.
The scope of this research was limited to the high-end digital production market segment in North America. Research was limited to devices using electrophotographic technology. Inkjet technology, though rapidly growing in use, was considered to have different substrate challenges better addressed separately. Continue reading...
Creativity in the Printing Industry: The Context of Organizational Change
By Shalini Khazanchi, Holly Slay and Mathew Sheep
The printing industry is undergoing numerous changes. The advancement of digital technologies has profoundly impacted the ways in which information is conveyed to consumers and has given people the ability to produce documents on their own, thereby limiting reliance on traditional print companies. As a result of these changes, printer device manufacturers are developing new technology that would make printing more efficient and cost-effective. Similarly, in response to these changing market trends, print suppliers are attempting to reposition themselves as a communications or marketing partner/service provider as opposed to solely a print or commodity supplier. Continue reading...
Upstream Database and Digital Asset Management in VDP
By: Franziska Frey and Nicholas D. Barzelay
While variable data printing is widely recognized as an important adjunct to customer relationship management and targeted marketing, complexities with data and digital content preparation have limited the actual application of the technology. Digital assets and data involve processes closely associated with information technology. Lack of information technology savvy is reflected in how data is handled, what tools are used, and what skills are fostered to work the tools. Continue reading...
Digital and Offset Print Quality Issues
By Bob Chung and Matthew Rees
Within the printing industry, quality is an important concept. However, quality assurance programs are not always in place to monitor print output when problems occur. Furthermore, with the myriad of printing technologies available for use today, problems may differ from process to process. Continue reading...
Permanence of Toner on Paper
By Franziska Frey
As printing technology advances, new markets and applications are developing, requiring improved document longevity and robustness. With more documents being printed digitally, it is important to understand how these documents fare in terms of permanence in various stages of their life cycle, and how they compare to conventionally printed offset documents... Continue reading...
Print Productivity
By Jorge Uribe
Although technology within the printing industry has improved dramatically, its implementation usually delivers localized improvements with only marginal effects on the whole system. In order to help printers increase productivity, a former RIT graduate student developed a computer simulation model of a generic print production workflow using system dynamics. This article is a summary of this project. Continue reading...
