What good is a modern, state-of-the-art digital printing device without a capable finishing solution? Thousands of digital printers are installed in the field pumping out pages that need to be folded, stapled, scored, or otherwise bound to achieve the intended result. Getting quality pages out of the printer is only a part of the process, but until recently few manufacturers focused on finishing as an equally important component.
According to the most recent TrendWatch study on the topic, "The Digital Bindery: Still Gathering a Full Head of Steam," digital printers have become the most likely purchasers of bindery and finishing equipment, with 45 percent declaring plans to purchase in the next 12 months, compared with only 32 percent of commercial printers. Digital printers were more likely to purchase in four out of five major equipment categories, including a 6 percent advantage in the purchasing of stitchers.
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What this indicates is that digital print providers have finally begun to recognize the importance of finishing in the digital process, and although many are now installing solutions, there is much room for growth. Previously, many of the early adopters of digital print technology relied on existing offset print finishing equipment or took the digital jobs to a smaller offline desktop binding device. This approach sufficed in the early days of digital printing, but as jobs grow more complex and the market intensifies, providers are recognizing the need to differentiate their digital print services with innovative and comprehensive finishing services.
With finishing equipment poised to have such a large impact on the digital printing market, observers caution that not all devices will represent the best solution for the need. However, in the right environment and for smart service providers who understand the needs of their customers, much of what is now entering the market will provide a number of revenue- and business-building opportunities. "There is a high level of interest among plants operating digital equipment in acquiring greater postpress capacity," notes the TrendWatch report. "Anticipated benefits include reduction in labor expense, liability and privacy protection, reduced waste, improved turnaround, and better quality and quantity control. These numbers suggest a hospitable market climate for vendors of binding and finishing equipment, especially those that can demonstrate a practical connection between bindery automation/integration and more profitable operation via computer-integrated manufacturing or CIM."
Partnering is key
In developing solutions for digital print providers, manufacturers of output devices are partnering with manufacturers of finishing devices to design systems that are integrated and optimized for particular applications. "We strive to match up the strengths of our portfolio with the partner offerings and come up with the best solutions for our customers," says Jerry Sturnick, manager of feeding and finishing solutions for Xerox. "It's a collaboration between not just the printing and finishing device vendors, but also with the customers to develop a solution that best meets their needs for their specific market applications."
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Digital print devices from Xerox, Xeikon, IBM, Océ, HP Indigo, Nexpress, and others often are teamed with finishing devices from C.P. Bourg, Duplo International, Horizon International, General Binding Corporation, Muller Martini, Plockmatic, and others. Most of the output device manufacturers will sell and support an integrated solution comprised of some combination of printing and finishing that best meets the customer's needs.
Picking up speed
One big factor speeding the adoption of digital finishing equipment is the increased automation and integration made possible by JDF and the work of groups such as CIP4 in getting all the devices to speak a common language throughout the workflow. As users understand more of the benefits of JDF, and begin to embed more advanced information directly into the job, finishing will become simply an extension of the print production process. However, as with JDF in the traditional print world, day-to-day application lags behind the hype that the market first experiences.
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For all but a few digital print providers, the ability to use a piece of finishing equipment in a variety of applications is key, and for this reason most are purchasing nearline or offline solutions that are not tied to one particular output device. But for those providers with a high volume of very specific and repetitive job types requiring an inline solution, most vendors offer a variety of options. "Often we have customers who may want to start out with an offline solution until they identify their own local business opportunities," comments Sturnick. "The ability to either upgrade or reconfigure down the line is key for these customers."
Solutions such as Muller Martini's SigmaLine are leading the way in complete integrated digital production of books and other bound materials. Working with a number of partners, the Sigma solution enables book production from start to finish inline, a perfect fit for the books-on-demand market. Several installations are already in place.
According to the TrendWatch report, 41 percent of digital printers named "making profitable use of technologies we have already invested in" as the top business challenge, followed by 37 percent stating "optimizing our production workflow," and 31 percent citing "keeping up with technological change." Similarly, 52 percent of digital printers cite "helping customers integrate new technologies" as a top sales opportunity.
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For postpress buyers, their largest concerns besides "optimizing workflow" (60 percent) are "keeping up with technological change" (41 percent), "increasing plant productivity" (38 percent), and "making profitable use of technologies we've already invested in" (30 percent). And 48 percent of buyers of bindery and finishing equipment cite "helping customers integrate new technologies" as a top sales opportunity.
So is finishing for digital printing a business challenge or is it a sales opportunity? Apparently, it's both-for conservative shops that wait too long to get into this area, business will no doubt be lost, but for innovative providers looking to stand out from the competition, digital finishing provides a unique opportunity to increase business with existing clients and build an entirely new customer base as well. The past few years have been difficult for many print providers, and those that have survived have done so because they have found ways to either reduce their costs or offer services that not everyone else could. Binding and finishing fall into that category, and more and more providers are entering the market, so don't wait too long or you may not cross the finish line.