While the commercial print market continues to change, the Fujifilm Business Innovation Division sees plenty of reasons for confidence. Commercial printers continue to invest in offset for the return it delivers while adding digital capabilities that give them greater flexibility across their production environments.
For Fujifilm, those changes are influencing investments across its portfolio, including plate technology, pressroom supplies, workflow, color management and technical expertise. Tony Aquino, VP of Sales at Fujifilm Business Innovation Division, shares why Fujifilm remains confident in North American commercial print and what he believes will continue to drive the market forward.
Why does Fujifilm remain confident in the North American commercial print market?
The investments a company makes say a lot about what it believes. Our continued investment in the North American plate market reflects our confidence in the future of commercial print and in the customers driving it forward.
We see commercial printers continuing to invest in offset because it delivers a compelling return on investment while expanding into digital technologies that complement traditional production. Brands continue to rely on offset for the quality and consistency it delivers while using digital where its flexibility makes sense.
For us, those investments reinforce the strength and resilience we continue to see across the commercial print market.
How do Fujifilm’s customers view the relationship between offset and digital?
Increasingly, it isn’t an either-or decision. Commercial printers are continuing to invest in offset while expanding their digital capabilities, creating production environments where the technologies complement one another.
Offset remains important because of its quality, consistency and economics while digital creates additional opportunities across the production mix. The ability to bring those technologies together gives printers more ways to serve their customers and respond to changing market demands.
Where does plate technology fit into Fujifilm’s commitment to commercial print?
Our investment in plate technology reflects our belief that offset will continue to play an important role in commercial print. Printers depend on consistency, reliability and quality across their operations and the plate remains a critical part of delivering those results.
That is why we continue to invest in the North American plate market and the technology supporting it. The goal is to help customers strengthen an important part of their production platform while continuing to evolve alongside the market.
Why is Fujifilm’s commitment about more than the plate itself?
Because customers need more than a product. They need the expertise and support to get the most from their production environments. Our approach brings together plate technology with pressroom supplies, workflow, color management and technical expertise.
Those capabilities allow us to look more broadly at how customers produce work and where Fujifilm can help them improve performance. It is the combination of technology, service and expertise that makes the relationship valuable.
How important is technical expertise as the commercial print market evolves?
Technology is only part of the equation. The knowledge behind it matters just as much. Our customers are managing increasingly sophisticated production environments that may include offset and digital technologies along with the workflows and color management systems connecting them.
Having access to people who understand those technologies and how they work together can help customers get more from their investments.
That expertise is an important part of how we support customers and one of the areas where we continue to invest.
What do you believe will distinguish successful commercial printers moving forward?
The strongest commercial printers will continue to find the right balance between proven production technologies and new capabilities. They will invest where those investments create value for their businesses and customers while maintaining the quality, consistency and performance their customers expect.
We continue to see offset playing an important role in that equation with digital complementing it and expanding what printers can offer.
What does Fujifilm’s continued investment say about how it views the future of commercial print?
It demonstrates that we believe in the market for the long term. Our investment in North American plate technology reflects confidence in offset and in the commercial printers that continue to build their businesses around it.
At the same time, our broader portfolio allows us to support customers as their production environments evolve. By bringing together offset, digital, workflow, color management, pressroom solutions and technical expertise, we can help customers build on what already works while preparing for what comes next.
Commercial print is changing, but we see significant opportunity ahead and remain committed to investing alongside our customers.