Print trends, techniques & sustainability in 2022

Posted

Everyone loves a beautiful piece of print so I’ve taken a look at some of the current trends & techniques within the print industry that have developed and become more popular in the last year.

Sustainable stock choices 

The area within the print industry that is making the biggest impact is sustainability and the environment. We see more and more of our client base conscious of what they print on and whether it is fully recyclable. Here at MAXX, we have a wide range of suppliers and resources that we are able to call on with regards to green, eco-friendly printing, ensuring all your printed material can be recyclable if you wish. We’re able to choose the right materials for specific print jobs and we understand what sustainable products/materials our print suppliers can offer. 

Paper is made from renewable resources and will eventually biodegrade.

The most common word you will hear when it comes to paper and sustainability is ‘FSC’, which stands for the ‘Forest Stewardship Council’, an international organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. The FSC certification that printers offer, enables us to choose paper made with materials that support responsible forestry. We know the printers we use are FSC certified, meaning we’re able to choose materials we know have come from sustainable forests, therefore, making your printed marketing material sustainably sourced and recyclable. 

But what about the inks?

We are also able to look at the inks used to print your marketing materials, often these will be vegetable-based oils. They’re a natural resource that is renewable, sustainable and easy to grow. Vegetable inks are easy to recycle, they go through a de-inking process which removes the ink from the paper. This then uses less energy to recycle the paper and therefore has less of an impact on the environment. 

Personalisation of marketing materials

Who doesn’t love personalised print? 

Variable data printing makes it simple to use customers’ data, images and copy to create bespoke print to suit each of your individual customers. Using personalisation, for example, on a printed mailer can be good for generating positive responses/results from the receiver. These kinds of ideas could also influence the receiver to perhaps consider something similar for their own marketing strategies. 

This ties in with targeted direct mail which also improves marketing and customer experience. This will enable your business to target specific audiences, segmenting them by demographic, location etc. Direct mail can also allow you to speak to a defined audience and attract high-quality leads. 

Integrating digital and print

Another area that we have seen more of recently is integrating digital and print. This can be simpler to achieve than you might think…the use of QR codes on printed collateral is common these days allowing you to use print as a means to steer your audience to a particular location.

Did you find the information in this blog useful? 

Have you been considering how you might use print sustainably in your marketing? Our Designers and Client Service team have a deep understanding of print and are passionate about sustainability. We’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email [email protected] to start a conversation.