Inkjet Printers | Variable Data, Faster Speeds and Improved Quality on the Rise

With artificial intelligence and “big data” utilization on the rise, and consumer preference for customization increasing, it may seem strange that one of the oldest modern printing technologies – inkjet – is seeing a resurgence. However, high-speed, continuous feed inkjet (CFI) presses are vastly improved, meeting today’s demand for quick, customizable, quality output at an affordable price.

Cost per page and page yield are a big deal.

In the past, the high cost of ink cartridges, slower print speeds, and lower quality output meant inkjet printers could not compete against laser printers in a commercial setting. But now, with the price of consumables (like ink) dropping rapidly, recent innovations allowing inkjet machines to print tens of thousands to millions of copies five to six times faster than sheet-fed laser, and quality rivaling offset printing, the tide has started to turn.

The more paper you can process through a machine, the more return-on-investment you get from that machine and its associated costs. With little to no warm-up time and rapid ink drying, inkjet printers provide an ideal solution for fast-moving production lines. CFI presses can also run for many hours before requiring service, which lowers costs even further.

Variable data is a key driver.

While adoption of commercial inkjet presses hasn’t happened at the same pace for every industry, data processing centers, in-plant print facilities, and commercial printing centers are rapidly driving the shift from laser to inkjet.

Thanks to cloud storage, customer management software, advanced digital tracking, and artificial intelligence predicting customer buying habits, it’s easier than ever to create customized content. The newest high-speed commercial digital inkjet presses are fully integrated with cloud-based business data, allowing for massive data pulls for customized mailings tailored to each customer and each print.

“Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Current Resident” don’t influence purchasing behavior the way personalized greetings and messages do. We live in an age where everything from our news feeds to our music choices is tailored to us, and direct mailings need to reflect this individualism.

In short, for those businesses that collect customer-specific details and use big data to drive marketing choices, a CFI printer allows for the printing of customized, high-quality prints, quickly and efficiently.

Sources:

“The benefits of continuous ink jet printers,” Packaging Scotland; “Benefits of Continuous Inkjet Printers,” Griffin-Rutgers Co. Inc.; “Inkjet vs Laser Printers: Which is Right for Your Business?” Access Systems; “Advantages of Inkjet Printers,” Printernet UK; “2019 Campaign Impact Report,” The Paper and Packaging Board; “Why Direct Mail Marketing Is Far From Dead,” Forbes; “Four in 10 Americans Look Forward to Checking Mail,” Gallup; “Inkjet Printers,” interview with Geo Plumberg, Boise Paper Product Manager.