Variable Data Printing

In our last post, we discussed the importance of being involved early in the design process when implementing a variable marketing strategy that utilizes personalized digital color printing. Planning up front can save lots of time and money in the long run for your personalized variable printing project. Knowing the strategy, deadlines, budget and complexity can help you determine the best and most cost-effective way to produce the project.

TIP #2: Determine the best, most cost-effective way to produce the project: Offset, digital – or both.

Depending on deadlines, there can be many economical options when implementing personalized digital color printing. If a quick turnaround is required, the project will most likely be best suited on the digital printer. The digital printer allows for getting variable marketing materials out fast in response to the market’s needs. If you have larger quantities and more lead time for the project, offset printing would be most economical. Planning for offset requires more attention to detail.

You can also mix the two options of digital and offset printing. The shells or static images/information can be printed on the offset and temporarily stored. This can then run through the digital press, adding on the variable information/images, allowing you to be flexible in your messaging when responding to your clients and prospects wants and needs out there in the marketplace. When doing this, color consistency could become an issue if not monitored between the multiple mixed pieces.

Variable marketing has become one of the hottest trends in marketing. With digital technology, it is easy to implement variable marketing, allowing you to connect a personal, targeted message with an individual. Recognizing the real business value this technique delivers is a way to stay ahead of the competition.

One tool used with variable marketing is personalized digital color printing, which offers professional-grade image quality and the ability to produce variable information (both data and images) on the fly. These customized print projects have become a powerful tool for marketers because it provides the ability to cut through the clutter of advertising messages. It provides the ability to deliver personalized printing with targeted, more relevant content that can boost customer loyalty, response rates and revenue.

Managing customized print projects for personalized digital color printing can be a challenge. In order to be successfully implemented, customized print projects are heavily reliant on data and information technology skills and therefore can be intimidating if never done before. However, once understood, the process is not very complex and just requires an understanding of how it differs from traditional printing. Staying ahead of the curve on the latest trends of variable marketing gives you an opportunity to be the leader among your competition.

To help, we’re launching a blog series titled, “How to Manage Customized Print Projects for Personalized Digital Color Printing.” These tips will help you implement variable marketing, utilizing personalized digital color printing, in an effective way that will allow you to be most efficient at this process.

TIP #1: Get involved early on at the design stage.

Traditional print has a very straight path from design to press to distribution; whereas, personalized printing starts with a required understanding about the audience and the means for reaching it before design can even be considered. Depending on how detailed, segmented and targeted you decide to get, every stage of production can be impacted by the target list data. This is why it’s important to involve yourself early on in the variable marketing project when strategy is being discussed.

When discussing the strategy of variable marketing, communicating throughout the entire process is very important. It’s important to understand the complexity-level of the personalized project to ensure the design will meet the requirements and that the necessary variable information is available. Knowing specific deadlines and budgets should also be discussed at this time to ensure projects are completed on a timely basis.