| If you've ever used one of the old dot matrix printers | | | | produce single and multi color images for over a |
| with rows of holes to feed the ream of paper and | | | | decade, but less than 5% of printing companies have |
| dealt with the constant paper jams, then you have an | | | | actually installed these devices. There are |
| idea of just how far technology has come in the | | | | approximately 30,700 printing companies in the United |
| printing industry. Long gone are the days of slightly | | | | States alone according to the 2006 U.S. Industry |
| fuzzy text and faded grey images. Today's printing | | | | & Market Outlook by Barnes Reports so it is |
| process has gone digital, and the benefit clearly shows. | | | | difficult to understand how such a large industry can |
| From the strikingly clear images to the brilliance of the | | | | be so slow to embrace new technology. |
| colors, digital printing displays everything on your | | | | Perhaps the amount of time it is taking for the printing |
| company's marketing material, stationery, business | | | | industry to catch up with the newest advances is |
| cards and more with as much detail as a photograph. | | | | rooted in its long history. After all, this is a process |
| And the best part? Digital printing has revolutionized the | | | | which has been slowly evolving for centuries. |
| printing industry to make it possible for any company, | | | | Woodblock printing was already in use in China by the |
| whether it has 10 employees or 10,000, to show the | | | | 6th century, and methods were steadily updated over |
| same level of quality as much larger corporations with | | | | the years, with the biggest leap forward being made |
| every piece of printed media, and it can be | | | | when Johann Gutenberg of Germany invented the |
| accomplished both quickly and inexpensively! | | | | printing press in the 1400s. Of course, the advances did |
| Still not clear on the difference between digital printing | | | | not stop there. According to Wikipedia, several |
| and making color copies at the local 24-hour shop? | | | | innovations occurred at the end of the eighteenth |
| The main difference is quality, which is best explained | | | | century including a new method of using engraving |
| by how digital printing actually works. Digital printing is | | | | tools, lithography, and relief etchings. By the early |
| actually a bit of a misnomer, as the process doesn't | | | | nineteenth century, new types of presses were being |
| apply as much to the printing itself as it does to the | | | | made which were far more durable than anything |
| way the image is transferred to the printing device. | | | | produced up until that time. Arguably one of the |
| Think of it this way-- with a traditional copy machine | | | | greatest advances, at least for the every day |
| (even with the highest quality color copier), when you | | | | consumer, was when Chester Carlson invented the |
| place a piece of paper through the machine to be | | | | process called Xerography, or photocopying, in 1937. |
| copied, the resulting page can only ever be as good as | | | | His invention is considered the "technological foundation |
| the original in your hand. That means if you have a | | | | of printing today" according to |
| slight crease where you held it in your hand or a speck | | | | Advances in digital printing make it the best option for |
| of dust on the copier, it will show up in the results. With | | | | individuals and businesses that are looking for high |
| digital printing however, the image, whether it be text or | | | | quality marketing materials at an affordable price, and |
| a full color photograph, is taken directly from a | | | | companies like make the technology easy to use. |
| computer file and output through the printing device. | | | | Incorporating the internet with digital printing seems like |
| The end result will be as good as the original every | | | | a natural step, and this company allows its clients to |
| time because there is never a physical piece of paper | | | | transmit files via FTP, electronically warehouse various |
| being copied. | | | | documents, forms, catalogs, etc. with the option to edit |
| It seems like with technology this foolproof, everyone | | | | the stored data securely online and print on demand |
| would be using it, but that is clearly not the case. | | | | the amount of each item needed. With copies that |
| According to theprinters.com, a company specializing in | | | | match the original every time, low cost, and that level |
| digital printing, the printing industry has remained behind | | | | of convenience, how can you go wrong with digital |
| the times when it comes to digital printing. Newer | | | | printing? |
| high-speed digital printing devices have been able to | | | | |
