The printing industry continues to experience growth in many areas despite the surge of paperless initiatives and the rise of online publications. While increased pressures in the print market have pushed towards a digital shift, the continued value of print advertisements for cross-media marketing campaigns, and the ongoing rise of manufacturers needing outsourced print solutions has tempered the pace of the industry’s changing demands.

Increased innovations on the technology front continue to produce new printing capabilities. These, combined with diverse product offerings, are helping printers satisfy shifting consumer demands. Correspondingly, many commercial printers have anticipated changing trends, finding creative ways to adapt and stay competitive in their market.

Many businesses have begun to transition from traditional print products and diversified their portfolio to include services such as design, multimedia content creation, promotional product branding, website design, multichannel marketing, and mailing. Offering these services has helped them harness the opportunity to become a one-stop solution for all their clients’ printing needs.

Looking ahead into 2020, these are some of the emerging new trends the print industry should be preparing for.

Increased digital printing: Digital printing has significantly expanded over the past five years and is estimated to account for 14.2% of the industry’s revenue. The benefits it provides, such as faster turnaround times, more flexibility, and increased customization options at reasonable costs are what businesses are asking for.

Advanced personalization: Each year, more and more companies are looking to personalize their communications to improve their overall customer experience. In addition to this, branding has become a priority for all the brands who understand the intangible benefits of having their logo present all over the map. As a result, the interest in customization options has prompted print companies to explore and develop different capabilities to easily personalize communications, products, packaging, and promotional products.

Automation and connectivity: Just as the demand for short-runs and customizations has increased, the need for faster turnaround times and on-demand-printing solutions has become an ongoing consumer expectation. This is where automation and connectivity play a crucial role. Companies nowadays won’t necessarily choose the most affordable print services, but the most convenient ones. Being able to automate as many processes as possible and connect different systems to increase efficiencies will help attract new businesses and existing customer relationships.

Environmental awareness: The print industry continues to work on its efforts to contribute to the ongoing war against pollution. At the same time, consumers are beginning to pay more attention to companies actively promoting their contributions to improved sustainability. Diverse efforts to contribute to the green movements range from using recycled paper and planting trees to hardware manufacturers producing print equipment that produces less harmful waste for the environment.

3D Printing: While 3D printing has been around for a while now, 3D printers have become increasingly affordable. Companies specializing in this type of service will continue to have an advantage as this technology, and the demand for it, continues to evolve.

As digital changes continue to cast a shadow over the future of the print industry, it is essential to note that at least 72.2% of print companies have been in business for over two decades according to Linchpinseo.com. The main factor helping these companies stay in business is their ability to adapt to change and their continued efforts to keep on top of new industry trends.