Digital Original New Technology’s Impact Augmented reality. Near Field understand how it will benefit customers, have vendor resources, and are willing to invest the time to train the customer on how to use it. For printers trying to differentiate their companies, talking about and demonstrating the benefits of new technology could raise visibility in the market. A conversation starter with new prospects and old customers, the new products could help cement a relationship. Talking about something different from your competitors should increase the topof mind awareness and make you the printer they think of when they want to place an order No one knows if the products will be that product that drives customers to a printer’s door, but at least the new services can be offered with little risk or fixed costs. How businesses and consumers communicate is changing, and it will have an effect on a printer’s business. Being in front of customers to learn about their needs will make it easier for a printer to adapt to the new communication tools and stay ahead of the competition. Find this article at PrintingNews.com/12111510 John Giles is a senior consultant for CPrint International (cprint.com). He helps printers prosper and understand how to sell the technology services. Giles is the author of 12 Secrets for Digital Success and The DTP PriceList. He can be reached at 954-224-1942 or john@cprint.com. To order his books, visit www.crouser.com. New tech such as augmented reality, NFC tags and labels, and 3D printing could impact your business. But can you make money? By John Giles Communications (NFC) tags and labels. 3D printing. All of these new technologies could have an impact on the printing industry and could affect the way people communicate. It remains to be seen, however, if printers will be able to make money with the new services. Right now 3D printing’s only real link to commercial printing is that it uses the word printing in the name. While several commercial printers have dabbled with the service, few, if any, are reporting success. (For more, see page 10.) One printer reported it was a good conversation starter with larger prospects, but it wasn’t really a production machine. Customers have not been asking for the 3D service, so until someone figures out how 3D can be used in business communication or marketing efforts, the impact will be limited. If printers do have a need for 3D printing, trade provider 4over, Inc. has started offering 3D printing. Printers can use the service for original items, prototypes, and mock-ups of products for hobbyists, inventors, manufacturers, and others who need to create 3D samples for testing and development. One hot 3D service found in Google for the autumn are models of football stadiums and team helmets. NFC tags and labels are another specialty item that probably require an outside vendor for smaller shops. The NFC tag is a small computer chip usually embedded in a sticker, on printed material or inside a product. Many applications for the tags and label require custom printing. Many NFC projects are print-based in some shape or form, so there are opportunities for printers who understand the process. Printers can begin to dabble with this service by buying NFC products from speit, cialty printers online. The website NFCtags.com has a comprehensive list of NFC online shops and printing/ converting providers. Augmented reality has been around for a while and is starting to gain some traction. AR adds layers of digital information over or within an image. The image can be viewed with a smart phone or smart glasses to bring the invisible layer of information to life. AR is being used in situations where a business wants to get more information onto a small printed place and include video and links. For example, comic book companies use AR to bring the reader into the action when they scan a panel. Furniture companies are using AR to help demonstrate how a piece of furniture would look in a specific space. The National Park Service uses AR technology to guide visitors through the National Mall in Washington, DC. (PN’s September cover featured AR: printingnews. com/12099964.) Printers can buy their own AR software from Layar, Aurasma, DAQRI, or Zappar and build their own applications, or they can hire a company such as Augmentedbusinesscards. com, Gravityjack.com. Qualcomm Vuforia, or TotalImmersion to develop a custom solution. Whether or not AR continues to grow depends on if consumers take advantage of the new technology, particularly smart glasses. Google, Microsoft, and Sony are developing smart glasses, but consumer interest has been lukewarm if not downright cool. Google has stopped selling its version of smart glasses so it can overhaul the product. Smart phone AR apps are continuing to grow. The new services will require marketing and sales calls. Printers shouldn’t try to sell this new technology unless they understand PrintingNews.com Printing News | October 2015 25
Printing News October 2015
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