The Industry Measure's Printing #26 Market Survey Report Offers New Data Cuts, Big Surprises

Now is the time to start subscribing to The Industry Measure's market surveys. This survey has some real surprises in store. Not only have we seen some fascinating changes in traditional business conditions, sales opportunities, business challenges, and planned investment questions, but we have updated our cross-tabs to provide a fresh look at the industry. The internal dynamics revealed by these cross-tabs are, in some cases, stunning.

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 16, 2008

The Industry Measure has released its twenty-sixth twice-year printing survey, Printing #26. This survey offers some stunning surprises based, in part, on new cross-tabulation that bring to light previously undocumented industry sub-trends.

In total, there are 12 categories covered in the Printing 26 survey. These include business conditions; planned investments; top sales opportunities; top business challenges; primary operating system used; adoption of online proofing for final approval; percentage of shops offering PURLs; numeric and dollar volume of stock image purchases (by category); number of stock images houses used and top factors influencing choice of stock image house; Web-to-print adoption, software model used, and percentage of overall sales volumes; adoption of automated production workflow adoption and barriers to adoption; and wide-format printing (adoption, common sizes, substrates, and applications).
While retaining its traditional offset cross-tabs, The Industry Measure has now added a "flexographic" cross-tab and replaced the generic "digital printers" cross-tab with detailed digital printing sub-segment cross-tabs, including:

-- Digital Presses (Color)    
-- Digital Presses (Offset -DI)    
-- Digital High Speed B&W Copier/Printer (50-199 IPM/PPM)
-- Digital High Speed B&W Copier/Printer (200+ PPM)
-- Digital Presses/Printers (B&W) (All)    
-- Color Copier (Production)
-- Wide Format Color Printer

The insights that result from these new cross-tabs cannot be overstated. Who would have guessed that the most pessimistic equipment classification would be digital printers of all types, reporting business conditions significantly lower than the overall industry average? Or that the printer classification with the most positive business conditions are directing imaging printers, which are twice as likely than the industry average to say their business conditions have been "excellent, better than the last 12 months" and half as likely to cite them as poor? Or that shops with automated workflows are also more positive about their business conditions, but offer a different model of value-added services than might be expected?

The surprises don't stop there. The Industry Measure added other cross-tabs that subscribers can mine for industry trends. These include (but are not limited to) cross-tabs based on the following sales opportunities:

  •     helping customers with training
  •     broadening digital printing services
  •     broadening fulfillment, shipping, mailing capabilities
  •     adding printing capabilities
  •     short-run color with traditional presses
  •     short-run color using digital presses
  •     adding/acquiring post-press capabilities
  •     short-run color with digital offset presses
  •     adding cross-media services

Some highlights of the top-level data:

  •     This survey, we have a new number one opportunity: "broadening digital printing services, at 42%. This is up more than one hundred percent from six months ago, when it was only 18%.

  •     In our number two slot, we have another first-timer: "creative and design services" at 31%. This opportunity is up more than fifty percent from six months ago, when it was 21%.

  •     In the number three slot is another surprise---a challenge that is from a ranking #20!

  •     The number five business challenge was a new category last survey: "growing sales/getting new business," now a challenge for 39% of all print and pre-press firms.

  •     Fifty percent of print and pre-press firms say their use of online proofing for final approval is increasing.

Availability...
The Industry Measure Printing 26 is 221 pages and is available for immediate purchase by visiting the secure Industry Measure eStore online at http://www.theindustrymeasure.com or by phone at 866-873-6310. The price for this report is $4,750. Industry Measure eStore customers can download this report in PDF Acrobat format immediately after purchase.

About The Industry Measure...

The Industry Measure specializes in the assessment of trends and changes in graphic communications markets by providing timely and strategic information, hard-hitting market analysis and concise expert opinion. The reports have earned the reputation for containing the most reliable and timely industry intelligence in the graphic arts and graphic design marketplaces. The Industry Measure can be reached on the Web (http://www.theindustrymeasure.com), via email (info@ theindustrymeasure.com) or toll-free by phone at 866-873-6310.

All brand names, trademarks, and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Press/Business Contacts…

Deborah Papineau
The Industry Measure
T: 866-873-6310

Sales Contact:

Vince Naselli
The Industry Measure
T: 866-873-6310

Editorial Contacts:

Richard Romano

Heidi Tolliver Nigro

###


Contact