Print…Alive and Well?

Have you ever walked into a print shop? I must say, I love the smell! Maybe because my grandpa and great grandpa both owned their own print shop but maybe it also has to do with the fact that I like being able to use more than just one of my senses, I like to touch, see, hear and smell the process, not just see the end result.

As a society who is constantly thinking of the latest and greatest inventions to make life easier we still love print. We like receiving cards in the mail. We like flipping through catalogs. We like to feel the paper.

So, here’s the question. With technology moving so quickly around us, are we eventually going to lose print shops and just go virtual? I am willing to bet we will always have print shops. And here are my reasons.

  1. Digital technology will never be able to replicate print. The digital books, Kindle & Sony eBook, have come close by creating a sense that you are actually turning a page but reality is…you’re not. You’ll never accidentally tear a digital page. Or the binding won’t come loose because you’ve read the same book over and over again. It’s just another electronic hand held device.
  2. It’s greener to print! It comes down to the numbers. Thanks to our friends at The Print Council, we didn’t have to do the math. They found that “In 2008, more than 57 percent of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling, more than any material. Less than 10 percent of U.S. power comes from renewable sources, but in the pulp and paper industry, that figure is greater than 60 percent. The average person’s paper use for a year - 440 pounds - is produced by 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity, the amount used to power one computer continuously for 5 months.”
  3. Lastly, I like the experience. This is where our senses come in. With digital, you’ll always be using just two senses, sight and sound. We are built to use all five. You can only get that experience while holding something that was printed. For example, e-cards are nice but a crisp envelope, feeling the thickness of the card, not knowing what you’re going to hear or see once you open it is way better!

Overall, digital is great and makes our life pretty easy but print makes our life just that much better. Print has a lasting impression that cannot be replicated. It’s here to stay!

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