The amazing development in the field of printing technology in the last 20 years is a great testament to how the internet has helped change our world more in a matter of decades than hundreds of years before that combined. The printing press has been dubbed the most important invention in the history of man, but compared to the massive leaps in technology the internet has brought about, it seems less amazing now.
It has come a long way though, from the first crude block printing methods in medieval Europe to Johan Gutenberg revolutionary movable printing blocks. An evolution of technology that took hundreds of years to achieve. Compare this to what the invention of the internet and continual developments in the world of digital technology has achieved in such a short space of time, the world of printing has some incredible changes.
No more than 20-30 years ago, having something produced in print of a decent quality would be an incredibly strenuous process of shipping paper mock ups and sketches around, until finally they were ready to be printed and delivered. A process that was not only slow, it was expensive and therefore reserved and used only by affluent businesses with resources. Lesser affluent business would have to do with mediocre products that did little to impress clients. Having a great business card before the eighties was a true measurement of success!
The internet has changed all that. With one stroke, everyone suddenly had access to resources and opportunity they could only dream about before. Businesses could hire a great artist to think of a logo, while counting on others to come up with the perfect slogan.
Today, if you want to have new business cards or leaflets printed for your company to promote new products, or have customised business cards as an effective marketing medium, you can order them online and have them back in a day. The technology in digital printing technology has exploded over the last 10 years to enable 24hr printing to become the norm.
Many companies now offer printing of businesses cards, banners, brochures, posters, promotion leaflets and much more to be processed, printed and shipped within a day for small or medium orders and only a matter of a couple of days for bulk orders, without sacrificing quality by using a combination of the latest innovative information technology tools and the internet.
This saves tremendous amount of time in anticipation and planning process for businesses. The speed of selection, ordering and delivery allows businesses to react fast to new situations or to take advantage of an opportunity that suddenly arises which was not available or achievable in the past. A new promotion can be created, designed and delivered with professional promotion material in a matter of one day. Likewise, new employees and sales staff can have businesses cards ready to give to clients days after commencing their employment.
Digital printing technology allows for much faster turnaround time, because the content can be printed directly onto the chosen printing medium. It is very practical solution if you need to get a high quality promotional products or professional business cards completed fast. Today, some online printing companies are able to offer 24 hour turnaround printing, which enables you to keep one step ahead of your competitors at all times.