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This study is designed to identify constraints and potential solutions for improved performance and quality of digitally printed papers. The targeted market segment is high-end digital production in the U.S. In the first phase a survey of print providers has been conducted, the sample drawn from the network of printing companies currently engaged with Printing Industry Center (CIAS) research activities. The second phase will be to follow up observations from the survey with a case study approach, working with both print providers and with digital press manufacturers. In order to understand the characteristics of this digital printing market segment, a demographic study of the respondent group was conducted as part of the survey. This was followed by an exploration of the considerations and paper characteristics that are involved in the paper grade selection decision. The role that paper characteristics and press requirements play in production efficiency and document quality was investigated. The change in paper costs to printers over the last few years was also explored.Specific research objectives included: identifying the paper grades commonly used for the market segment of production digital printing, identifying the number of brands used and the nature of printing companies’ relationships to suppliers, determining the factors that affect brand and purchase decisions, discovering the relative importance of different paper properties and characteristics, assessing the deficiencies in currently-available paper grades, and determining what improvements are required by digital printers, and what limitations are currently imposed by press design. The leading digital paper grades used in digital printing production were found to be coated gloss, premium uncoated, uncoated calendered, coated matte, uncoated uncalendered, and premium bond. The median number of paper brands used by this sample is five, with a wide range indicating varied practices. When making the paper

The printing industry has been changing dramatically for over 20 years. While the majority of print volume is generated by offset lithography, many print operations are bringing in digital technologies as a complement or even replacement for some offset market segments. Amongst the advantages of these new digital technologies are the ability to produce variable data printing and economically viable short-run jobs. At the same time, societal, consumer, and regulatory pressures are driving all areas of industry to examine closely the effects of their operations on the environment. With the advancement and proliferation of digital technologies, the printing industry is looking forward to digital printing as a panacea for some significant technical and environmental problems that are currently associated with traditional printing methods. The two digital technologies showing the most growth potential are inkjet and electrophotography (Romano, 2003). Both technologies are developing the capability to approach offset lithography in image quality. High-end electrophotographic production presses are able to produce output at a rate which makes accessible some short-run offset market segments and there is significant development activity in this area from press manufacturers, software developers and consumables providers (The Print Extension, Inc., 2004) Volumes from conventional printing technologies will probably grow more slowly than those from digital technologies. Electrophotography is predicted to grow at about 2.8% and inkjet at about 8.3% for the period 2003-2008, compared with an increase in only 0.7% over this period for offset lithography (Business Development Advisory, Inc., 2003). However, issues of environment and workplace health and safety do not disappear merely because a facility is utilizing electrophotographic digital technologies rather than traditional printing processes. Moreover, digital technology has its own demerits that restrict its use for certai

The printing industry has been changing dramatically for over 20 years. While the majority of print volume is generated by offset lithography, many print operations are bringing in digital technologies as a complement or even replacement for some offset market segments. Amongst the advantages of these new digital technologies are the ability to produce variable data printing and economically viable short-run jobs. At the same time, societal, consumer, and regulatory pressures are driving all areas of industry to examine closely the effects of their operations on the environment. With the advancement and proliferation of digital technologies, the printing industry is looking forward to digital printing as a panacea for some significant technical and environmental problems that are currently associated with traditional printing methods. The two digital technologies showing the most growth potential are inkjet and electrophotography (Romano, 2003). Both technologies are developing the capability to approach offset lithography in image quality. High-end electrophotographic production presses are able to produce output at a rate which makes accessible some short-run offset market segments and there is significant development activity in this area from press manufacturers, software developers and consumables providers (The Print Extension, Inc., 2004) Volumes from conventional printing technologies will probably grow more slowly than those from digital technologies. Electrophotography is predicted to grow at about 2.8% and inkjet at about 8.3% for the period 2003-2008, compared with an increase in only 0.7% over this period for offset lithography (Business Development Advisory, Inc., 2003). However, issues of environment and workplace health and safety do not disappear merely because a facility is utilizing electrophotographic digital technologies rather than traditional printing processes. Moreover, digital technology has its own demerits that restrict its use for certai

This study is designed to identify constraints and potential solutions for improved performance and quality of digitally printed papers. The targeted market segment is high-end digital production in the U.S. In the first phase a survey of print providers has been conducted, the sample drawn from the network of printing companies currently engaged with Printing Industry Center (CIAS) research activities. The second phase will be to follow up observations from the survey with a case study approach, working with both print providers and with digital press manufacturers. In order to understand the characteristics of this digital printing market segment, a demographic study of the respondent group was conducted as part of the survey. This was followed by an exploration of the considerations and paper characteristics that are involved in the paper grade selection decision. The role that paper characteristics and press requirements play in production efficiency and document quality was investigated. The change in paper costs to printers over the last few years was also explored.Specific research objectives included: identifying the paper grades commonly used for the market segment of production digital printing, identifying the number of brands used and the nature of printing companies’ relationships to suppliers, determining the factors that affect brand and purchase decisions, discovering the relative importance of different paper properties and characteristics, assessing the deficiencies in currently-available paper grades, and determining what improvements are required by digital printers, and what limitations are currently imposed by press design. The leading digital paper grades used in digital printing production were found to be coated gloss, premium uncoated, uncoated calendered, coated matte, uncoated uncalendered, and premium bond. The median number of paper brands used by this sample is five, with a wide range indicating varied practices. When making the paper