September has come and gone. We hope that you had an opportunity to attend Graph Expo in Chicago, or have at least found it helpful to follow along in some other remote way. While some of our authors and staff were enjoying the show, I traveled east — way east — to Budapest, Hungary. I had an opportunity to present at the International Association of Research Organizations for the Information, Media and Graphic Arts Industries’ (IARIGAI) 38th annual research conference. This is an international event that gathers scientists to discuss advancements in print and media.
It is difficult to look at the highly specialized, academic conference’s ideas and translate them into practise, but it is important to stretch concepts into opportunities. Incredibly, at this highly technical conference full of engineering superstars, this was not such hard work. For anyone who says that there are no opportunities left in print, you need to talk to one of these scientists! It’s likely that you are stuck thinking ‘ink on paper.’ Today’s reality, however, is that these consumables have the ability to take business to brand new places.
Here are a few examples of presentations full of opportunity and promise. A group of scientists is looking at ways to improve printing on fabrics, making them more fade resistant — I can imagine event tents, billboards, and even bathing suits. Another institution is creating watermarks on packaging that only appear when the package is twisted — an easy system to add some counterfeiting protection to a package. There were several presentations about printed electronics, which is another niche market, but beyond that there was also research in printed fuel cell technology. Aside from the environmental benefits, think about the marketing impact of generating energy through print.
One business cannot be all things to all people. Printing fuel cells, fancy packages and fabric should not be attempted — at least not all at once! However, this is yet another reminder that investing in a niche can create new growth in an otherwise stagnant market. Do some research, talk to some engineer types, and see if there is something just waiting to be added to your otherwise-familiar repertoire of services.
