Print to Digital: What Does It Mean?
Summary: Publisher’s refer to shifting from print to digital as the process of moving from a physical print edition to a digital one. But printers often refer to the shift of print to digital as the process of moving away from offset (and other traditional forms) of printing to the use of toner-based or inkjet “digital” printing methods.
A few months back Doc wrote about a tipping point coming in the move from traditional print publishing to digital publishing. From the comments the entry received, Doc was surprised that the term “print to digital” can mean different things to different people.
Publisher’s refer to shifting from print to digital as the process of moving from a physical print edition to a digital one.
But printers often refer to the shift of print to digital as the process of moving away from offset (and other traditional forms) of printing to the use of toner-based or inkjet “digital” printing methods.
Either way, you can argue that we’re moving rapidly to the digital end of the spectrum. Publishers are producing more and more digital editions (especially in the iPad era) and printers are moving quickly to “digital” forms of printing in the way of inkjet and toner technology.
So whatever your definition, embrace your inner digital child and go with the flow. I mean, why fight the inevitable?
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ZDNet introduces Doc (The DocuMentor), sponsored by RICOH. Through his blog, Doc will educate you about Document Management. So who is Doc? Doc is something of an enigma. He was born to a Russian ballerina and a German electrical engineer who some believe was running covert operations for shadowy corporate interests. Doc grew up in various locations in the United States, although no one seems to know precisely where, least of all Doc. His early schooling was unremarkable except for the time he was caught trying to replace all the mimeograph machines with high-tech color copiers that had mysteriously disappeared from a shipment to Albania. At MIT, he made a name for himself by transforming a large printer into a robot that hunts and eats Roombas. Professionally, he reportedly has seen the insides of more brands, versions, and generations of printer and printer-related hardware than almost anyone. Some say his obsession with paper, printing, and mechanical movement was either started by, or evidenced by, a traumatic childhood episode when he crawled inside an old Xerox 2400 and tried to print himself.
Anyway, Doc has hands on experience with stuff like printer maintenance and fleet management, but his mastery of document management leaves no stone unturned. Important issues like sustainability, security, and regulatory compliance are top of mind for Doc, as are other business technology needs like networking and IT services, making him a true blue IT renaissance man.
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