Automatic for the People

Projecting the growth of the digital-imaging industry is a less-than-exact science. Glance at various headlines and you might read that the market is "still in its infancy." Next thing you know, it’s "exploding."

Despite contradictions about its current state, the future seems to bode well for digital printing. Bob Curtis, president of Roland DGA Corporation, Irvine, CA, estimates that the equipment and supplies faction of the business, currently estimated at about $2 billion, will rise 25 to 40 percent in the next five years.

What factors play into this forecast? One is the expanding range of applications. Electric-sign backgrounds, billboards, posters, showcards, banners, truck sides, bus shelters — even the buses themselves — all clamor for the consumer’s attention. As businesses maximize the bang of their advertising bucks, demand for digital will likely increase.

Another key comes from the supply side. Automation is the watchword in digital R&D. Manufacturers want to appeal to the industry’s most powerful demographic: technically savvy entrepreneurs. These upstarts need both quality and quantity.

Beyond preaching to an already-devout choir, manufacturers hope to convert sign-makers who are leery of making the digital leap. Among sign-makers’ concerns are cost and ease of use. Marketing managers respond by trumpeting lower prices and higher benefits, such as enhanced speed, smoother workflow and fewer snafus. Here, we examine these recent upgrades and provide case studies of some notable digital projects.

Printheads on the cutting edge

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CalComp Graphic Solutions LLC, Anaheim, CA, offers CrystalJet