Just when you thought traditional print has a brave new future...

Well, we thought the GFC was waning and that we here in the Land of Oz were enjoying a resources-fuelled recovery and the good times were rolling again. For some. Then along came my April 2010 copy of ProPrint to cast darkness into our hope-filled future. Let me pick out a few choice headlines for you to savour...
‘Driving into digital’ on the front cover.... ironic?
‘Pettaras Press up for sale after falling into hands of the receivers’
‘Paragon Printing staff get 11th hour reprieve though future still unclear’
‘Worldwide’s future in question after month of administration’
‘Former owner rescues Printing Department’
‘Standard Publishing House has acquired fellow Sydney-based printer Rapid Digital out of administration’
‘Liquidators hopeful of selling Quality Print’
‘Geon loss hits NZ$183m’
‘Blue Star profits fall but ‘improving’’
‘Salmat earnings rise despite revenue slide’
and in their online (!) Weekly Bulletin... ‘Beaver Press in administration’ – that’s a sad one as I remember Robert Francis from back in the 80s – a nice guy.

Is this the aftermath of the GFC finally hitting home? In the same issue a survey of printers revealed 65.1% of respondents had clients who bought less print.

Or is digital printing finally taking a bite out of the traditional litho market? The survey also revealed 84.7% of respondents believe there is growth potential for digital, with 51.4% planning to increase their digital offering.

Or both? Or is it the online phenomenon changing our communication habits?

Whatever your views it seems that change is happening and some are better prepared for it than others. Sadly if clients are spending less on print, they’re certainly spending less on design also.

My money remains with online faring the best in 2010 and beyond. Excuse me while I go and code another online annual report financials page in html.



Tony Heywood is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, founder of Heywood Innovation in Sydney Australia with affiliates in Melbourne, Gold Coast, London, Singapore and Mumbai.

View some of Heywood’s work on www.heywood.com.au

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