Users like the physical properties of printing on paper

There are a couple of things that have clearly not happened quite as futurologists predicted, including the paperless office and the move to wholly digital documents.

Not only is paper still shuffling through printers in offices and homes up and down the country, but according to the latest research from Canon, the physical attributes of printing are prized by customers.

The firm’s latest Insight Report, Exploring the future of print, underlined the unique selling properties of physical printing in a digital world.

The report highlighted user preference for printing because of the value that physical output, which had taken time and been crafted, had compared with digital alternatives. The report spoke of print’s haptic characteristics, arguing that they helped it “cut through” digital “noise”.

The message for the vendor’s partners is to be aware of the mood of customers and help support more personalised printing options. Given the ability to emphasise printing’s power to help users pause and reflect on their document generation processes, the report spoke of the channel focusing on the “attention as a service” aspect of the technology.

The broad conclusions were positive for those involved in selling and supporting print, with customers clearly placing it as a key plank in their marketing and communications strategies.

“The conclusions from the report are encouraging and cement print’s future as a valuable marketing medium that delivers cut-through,” said Duncan Smith, country director, production, at Canon UK and Ireland.

“The opportunities for Print Service Partners (PSPs) are vast, but it’s also clear from the findings that PSPs need to continue to be curious and ask questions about AI [artificial intelligence] and sustainability, and the steps they need to take to drive their business forward and keep creating value for brands,” he added.

Canon has been sharing insights into the state of the market for 15 years with partners and customers, and views it as a service it delivers to ensure opportunities are identified and its channel is given guidance about customer sentiments now and in the future.

“We’re confident that our market intelligence will continue to drive positive change within the industry, and, coupled with our innovative technologies and long-term business support, will give our customers the power to move forward and succeed against a changing backdrop for print,” said Smith.

The Canon report also covered attitudes to AI, with it clear that those futurists it consulted expect the technology to be adopted by partners and used to increase automation.

Sustainability also remained a key issue. Given printing’s role in generating demand for paper, ink and energy, the need to ensure products and processes are as efficient as possible remains. Reducing carbon emissions will continue to be a future expectation, and partners need to be prepared to add measuring emissions as part of their managed services approach.

The report also underlined the crucial role that channel partners play in helping customers navigate through technology and vendor offerings. The futurologists consulted by Canon agreed that those print specialists that are proactive and consultative would be in a strong position going forward.