Long Live Print!

Long Live Print!

Not long ago some pundits may have tried to convince you that printed materials had been rendered obsolete by the incessant advance of digital communications. To paraphrase a well-known quote, “rumours of print’s death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The perfect illustration of this is the fact UK book sales have risen for the second consecutive year, to an all-time high, while sales of ebooks have fallen.

Long Live Print!

Why Online is Not on Trend

According to a report in The Guardian newspaper, “screen fatigue” is to blame for a 17% drop in ebook sales, taking it down to 2011 levels.

Meanwhile, sales of physical consumer books – fiction, non-fiction and children’s titles – increased by almost 9% in 2016, to a record high of £1.55bn. If you include non-consumer titles, such as trade journals, in that UK-wide total, it makes it a £3bn marketplace.

So if you are considering commissioning printing designs in Lancaster and Morecambe, why would people choose to read that instead of online material?

People Still Love Print

For many people – even millennials who are never far from their mobile devices – the printed word still has aesthetic appeal and a sense of being more solid and comforting. They can flick through leaflets and printed reports with ease, taking a break from the relentless onslaught of digital communication.

Printed materials are the original mobile information resources, but they also achieve a substantial penetration if left in strategic places. Technology might be everywhere these days, but leaflets in foyers and wracks, for example, are up close and personal, compared to having to log on and search for the same information.

Even modern media stars such as YouTube celebrities have brought out books, appreciating the value of using the printed word to gain exposure.

Advantages of Print Over Digital

Another thing printed materials have in their favour is how easily and cost-effectively they can be personalised. Modern printing equipment provides a high degree of individualisation and short runs. Online communication by its nature tends to be far more generic and impersonal.

Modern printers have also worked hard to innovate and be creative, offering a wide variety of finishes and effects for printed materials.

This has all contributed to keeping printed materials “alive and kicking”. So contact us today to let your literature do the talking.