The Results Are In...
The new 2023 Specialty Digital Ink and Toner Embellishment Study provides detailed analysis of how current users of digital ink and toner embellishment technologies are utilizing them, what the response from customers has been, how satisfied print providers have been with the sales and profitability of these jobs, where the challenges lie, and their general feelings about the future of digital ink and toner embellishment technologies.
This executive report features the results of an exhaustive survey of owners of digital ink and toner embellishment technologies using them in conjunction with digital printing equipment from Ricoh, HP Indigo, Xerox, Kodak, Oki, Heidelberg, Fujifilm, and Xeikon. The digital embellishment category is poised for dramatic growth, and there are ample opportunities for commercial printers, packagers, and other print service providers to utilize these new technologies to add value to customer communications, and develop a lucrative new profit center. How aware are print customers that these technologies exist? Do they see any value in using them for their communications? How are PSPs are their customers using these technologies? Are PSPs happy with the sales and profitability of these technologies? What are the barriers to achieving greater profitability? Where are the bottlenecks in actually producing jobs using digital embellishments?
Key Findings:
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41% of survey respondents said that the main reason they added specialty ink and toner capabilities was to generate more profit.
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75% of respondents said that clients are interested in specialty ink and toner capabilities.
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More than one-half (55%) are satisfied with the profits they make off these jobs, but 40% are satisfied with the sales of these of these jobs.
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27% said that specialty ink and toner jobs were “always” more profitable than regular CMYK jobs, while 36% said they “usually” are.
This report is ideal for…
Print service providers—to find out how their peers are using digital embellishments, the success they are having with them, the challenges they have experienced, and their overall view of the market.
Digital press manufacturers—to understand how users are using these technologies on their presses, and how press vendors can help their customers get the most out of digital embellishment technologies.
Designers—to understand how to help their own design clients take advantage of the opportunities to be had in adding digital embellishments to their printed communications.
Study Table of Contents
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Executive Summary
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Introduction
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Background
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The Lay of the Land
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An Embellishment Primer
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Analog Embellishments
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Laminates
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Digital Embellishments
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Going Forward
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How This Report is Organized
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For More Information
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Section I. Use and Value of Specialty Toner and Inkjet Capabilities
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Main Reason for Acquiring
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Competition
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Frequency of Use
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Average Run
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Popular Colors
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Popular Commercial Printing Applications
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Popular Packaging Applications
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Conclusions
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Section II. The Business of Embellishments
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Self-Promotion and Marketing
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Business Plan
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Self-Promotion
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Marketing
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Customer Familiarity
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Satisfaction with Quality
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Value in Sales and Marketing
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Customer Interest
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Satisfaction with Profit and Sales
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Overall Profitability
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Conclusions
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Section III. Challenges and Obstacles to Specialty Ink and Toner Jobs
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Sales Training
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Biggest Obstacles to Sales
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Estimating
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Designing and Setting Up Embellishment Jobs
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Set-Up Times
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Ease of Design
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Internal/External Design
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Conclusions
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Section IV. Looking Ahead
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Increase Capacity
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The Future of Specialty Inks and Toners
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In Their Own Write…
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Conclusions and Recommendations
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Recommendations
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For Print Businesses
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For Vendors
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Going Forward
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Appendix A. Demographics
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Appendix B. Methodology and Questionnaire