Five emerging trends in the printing industry

Design, fashion and printing are all one and the same. The introduction of colour palettes from fashionable brands can affect the demand for certain designs in the printing industry, and vice versa. The printing industry is unique to the other two, however, in the sense that technology is having a greater effect on it. With such advancements in technology, customers are craving back some old fashioned, hand-crafted designs too. This article will cover the five biggest trends in the printing industry and touch on what the future may hold.

Bespoke printing for weddings

There has been a significant increase in demand for bespoke, high-quality wedding invitations. In the past it would be fairly common for customers getting married to ask for a general design for the invitation letters. However, companies such as Downey Printing Services are creating premium bespoke design prints that have never been created before. This allows customers to either ask for something personal, or let the genius of the printing designer produce something uniquely special just for them.

3D effects

When you think of printing, you think of 2D designs on canvas. However, textured prints are becoming more common and the results are becoming more spectacular. Textured prints can add more depth to the design, and in some cases physically bring a three-dimensional aspect to a poster or letter. This is usually coupled with metallic ink because it gives a literal metal/solder look.

3D printing

Currently there is a large space between 3D effects in traditional printing and 3D printing itself. The former is used to print on paper or canvas, whilst the latter is usually for engineering uses. It seems that as the 3D printing market becomes more developed, the two will overlap more. It’s possible we may see the introduction of 3D designs that still have a canvas for text, for example a 3D wedding invitation or 3D book cover.

Engraving

Engraving is looking to make its comeback – not so much in a mass-market commercial sense, but in hand-rafted engraves on premium prints. Engraving is becoming ever-more detailed and accurate, with a genuine authenticity behind hand-engraved prints. Engraving really adds to the texture of a print and can give a unique depth feel that traditional printing cannot achieve. Not to mention that engraves tend to come with beautiful calligraphy that isn’t quite the same when printed.

From art to science

Printing still remains an artistic endeavour; printers are yet to fully exploit the use of analytics in their approach. Big Data is predicted to be leveraged more by the printing industry by incorporating data on printing results, how prints are received, their accuracy and so on. The enhancement of science in printing from a data standpoint could really change up the industry. Printers themselves may also introduce AI features such as voice recognition. Furthermore, this in conjunction with printers being an IoT security threat could mean more IT specialists will need to be employed in the industry.

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