Shane Lucas, director HP graphic arts South Pacific, says, “In relation to the market size of Asia Pacific countries like China, India, Korea and Japan and the combined Australia and New Zealand markets, the performance of our region is quite phenomenal.”
Lucas attributes the growth to the cost-effectiveness of producing increasingly longer runs digitally, the early adoption of new technology and to the introduction of value added services.
He believes the South Pacific region has a high penetration of digital printing. He says, “In our region, print service providers are using digital technology to print an expansive range of products that are generally of higher quality and more complex. We are also seeing an increase in the volume of variable data and personalised jobs being produced as marketers look for more targeted ways to communicate with their audiences.”
HP outlines that approximately 60 per cent of HP Indigo customers have analogue technologies in their environment. Lucas adds, “There is undoubtedly a trend emerging with offset printers who are adding a digital stream to their offering.
“HP Indigo presses can handle a variety of substrates including packaging materials both heavy weight and extremely light weight films. Print service providers are branching out into new markets that traditionally were the province of offset.”
The company continues that the offset printing market has a large over capacity and, as a consequence, has become competitive to the extreme. HP adds that digital offers the ability to open up new markets, be more competitive and save costs particularly on short runs.
Lucas concludes, “Today brand managers, corporates and creative agencies look to their print service providers to provide a range of options including sample printing for packaging, variable data and short run commercial printing solutions.
“Digital allows print service providers to adapt to market trends and to develop new revenue streams without compromising profitability. That’s a blueprint for success.”
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