OUTPUT

The digital march goes ever forward. Everyone was talking about what sort of drupa we should expect. You know, the digital drupa, the ink-jet drupa, the horribly exhausting drupa. All of those are correct, but as to whether only one was correct it isn't so certain. In years to come we will look back on drupa 2012 and it will be clear that it was the drupa when print started moving into the cloud for real.

The cloud is the next iteration of computing, and pre-press is wholly dependent on digital processing so it is hardly surprising that it, along with digital printing, is starting to follow suit. In between software demonstrations, conversations on exhibitors' stands at drupa regularly turned to the cloud. And print service providers, even in the sign and display sector, are also starting to talk about mobile applications for print ordering.

For the sign and display market this represents an interesting opportunity. Although it was only whispered at drupa, HP has recently announced a flavour of its ePrint technology for wide-format engines. For a couple of years most HP printers have been web-enabled, which means they are preconfigured for printing via the web. All you do is send an email to the printer and it starts printing. The idea was for office and corporate users to be able to get printing done while they were travelling, sending documents for output on the printer closest to where they wanted the print. This could be either for their own or someone else's use. Adding ePrint functionality to desktop engines to provide mobile printing via the cloud was HP's first step into mobile print applications. Now it appears to be bringing this technology to professional applications.

The ePrint application for wide-format print works with Google Android smartphones and tablets including the Apple iPad. This introduction opens up a range of new revenue options for sign and display makers. However they will need to consider how jobs are managed to produce unexpected orders without messing up existing production. But that shouldn't be too much of a pain, because newly spontaneous buyers of posters and banners are likely to be happy to pay a premium. People who want something right now are usually prepared to pay for the privilege, particularly if it's a last minute emergency such as posters for your favourite niece's wedding or an aged parent's 101st birthday.