Print is not dead… It has just taken a new direction.
Well, maybe not new, just evolved.
Even with newspapers and magazines folding up shop left and right (no pun intended), who would have imagined that print would be in this situation?
Douglas Engelbart did.
Back in 1968, the architect behind the computer mouse said, “the digital revolution is far more significant than the invention of writing, or even printing. In twenty or thirty years, you’ll be able to hold in your hands as much computing knowledge as exists now in the whole city, or even the whole world.” Source.
Mr. Engelbart wasn’t some fortune teller or psychic, but an inventor. He had the foresight to see what was coming. And he wasn’t wrong.
The last twenty to thirty years have seen unbelievable advances in technology. I personally have been working through those changes and challenges for my entire career as a print production artist.
One could say the traditional sense of print has diminished since the advent of the digital age, but it’s certainly not dead (or even dying). In reality, print is very much alive and full of beautiful color and images. If anything, the digital age has reinvented print media and brought designers out of the 20th century and into killer designs of the 21st century.
As designers, we have the ability to create amazing layouts that weren’t thought of fifteen years ago. Digital tools have expanded the design world which inevitably overlaps into the world of print.
As a pure print designer and a fine artist, I like to touch, feel, and smell the mediums I work in. So, on a personal level, the transitioning over to the digital side has come with challenges. I think in terms of how the design will function on paper, how the colors will attract attention, how the readers will open the piece that in turn will hopefully render a positive response.
Changing over to a digitally run world has forced print professionals like myself to reformulate the user experience that marries the abilities of print and digital marketing. The result? Nothing short of extraordinary!
The melding of the tactile, scent-induced, in-your-hands printed pages with the glistening efficiency of digital media has opened a whole new world that invites client and customer connection like never before. This is why we always encourage our clients to pursue print campaigns with a digital element (or vice versa).
Social media, videos, blogs, websites, and now AI, is where we all live. Print media can be designed to include these digital elements through QR codes and links which drive consumers deeper into your sphere. In turn, they are given broader, more informed access to the goods, services, or information they’re seeking from your business or organization, creating a lasting impact.
While the digital age has undoubtedly transformed the marketing landscape, print remains a resilient and thriving medium, adapting to the changing times. Embracing print and digital campaign combinations creates a holistic, compelling brand experience that ultimately leads to stronger connections with your target audience and greater success in achieving your marketing goals.
As an extension of your marketing team, we at LKF desire wins for your business and organization. Connect with your account team today and we’ll work together to develop a captivating campaign that will win and leave a lasting impression, one that even Douglas Engelbart couldn’t predict. 😉
