4 Ways to Make Print Products Stand Out With Digital Printing Technology

In the print industry, if you want to deliver high return on investment (ROI) through impressive products, you increasingly need to leverage advances in digital printing technology to make that happen. The wow factor matters — not simply for the sake of making something cool, but to give your customers something that gets people’s attention and boosts their bottom line.

The special enhancements that can be achieved through digital printing breathe new

excitement into print media, which helps suppliers and distributors shift customer conversations from price to unique capabilities and processes.

Dawnielle Balli, business development manager at GPA (gpa-innovates.com), a market leader in substrate solutions for digital, offset and wide-format press technologies, 

says print suppliers and distributors need to stay informed as digital print and finishing technology continues to evolve.

“More than ever before, brands are looking at ways to stand out,” says Balli, who advises clients through all phases of the print lifecycle. “They want to differentiate, increase their ROI and have their printed piece tell a story and, most of all, create a feeling, an action or response.”

Tony Rouse, president and CEO of TEAM Concept Printing (teamconceptprinting.com), says his company’s digital print technology continues to evolve to meet customers’ needs. Rouse says he often uses LinkedIn and Instagram to showcase new products and client work, including many that include innovations enabled by advances in digital printing.

“We’ve had a tremendous response on social media to our LUX FX finishing product line,” Rouse says. “We’ve used it to spotlight many unique print projects.”

Check out these four exciting and increasingly novel ways to avoid the “pain of plain” in print.

1. Embellishments: Print embellishments such as die-cutting, embossing, foil stamping, and specialty inks and coatings aren’t new to the industry, but they’re increasingly unique and popular now that digital printing has made them more widely available, including for short-run, customized and personalized applications. These special effects can be key differentiators that make print pieces more visually appealing and convey a higher perceived value.

Rouse at TEAM Concept Printing says the growing appetite for digital embellishments stems directly from customers’ desire and need to stand out from the competition.

“We built our exclusive suite of digital embellishment services, known as LUX FX, to meet customer requests,” Rouse says. “We continue to add cutting-edge technology to our capabilities, so we can provide customers with digitally enhanced, tactile print communications that get people’s attention.”

2. Textured papers and substrates: Innovations in digital printing enable brands to think more creatively about how they use paper. Textured paper —from leather and linen to canvas and stucco — can give a rich, premium look to an otherwise typical print job. Adding a “must touch” tactile effect to a design makes it more memorable and engaging.

Substrate versatility is also a top selling point for a variety of industry products, as customers are looking for the ability to print to paper and non-paper materials. Balli at GPA says more brands she works with are turning to specialty substrates to make their print pieces more impactful.

“Using specialty printable substrates — such as clear plastic, stone paper, soft touch paper, pearlized and birch label, to name a few — in combination with digital printing offers endless opportunities,” she says.

3. Unique and engaging packaging: According to a 2019 NAPCO Research report, digital printing is gaining traction — and is increasingly vital — across all packaging segments. Many major consumer-oriented manufacturers have gradually shifted to customized packaging to enhance shelf visibility. Coca-Cola was an early adopter, launching multiple campaigns based on digitally printed, highly customized labels, including the memorable “Share a Coke” bottles featuring individual names. Additionally, campaigns that call for limited-edition packaging benefit from the flexibility of digital printing.

NAPCO also cites “producing compelling or visually attractive artwork” as the No. 1 packaging priority for brand owners, and advances in digital printing technology are helping to deliver that, as well.

4. Enhanced wide-format printing: With bigger and better digital technology comes the ability to make bigger and better printed materials. In a recent blog post, industry expert Michael Cooper of Lindenmeyr Munroe says, “Wide format is the new way people are marketing, especially on the retail end. The use of windows, walls, floors, and the ability to change that messaging rapidly and relatively inexpensively is driving it.”

According to the industry report “Digital Printing Market — Growth, Trends, Forecasts (2020 - 2025)” by ReportLinker, there is increasing demand for digital prints wrapped on the glass fronts of office buildings and huge digitally printed banners displayed on the sides of buildings. The automotive industry has also become a major part of the digital advertising world, with vehicles of all kinds fully wrapped with digital prints.