I like to keep an eye out for interesting technologies that can have a beneficial effect on a consolidating printing industry. I am especially interested in things that make print interactive. Why? Because the ability to link print into the rest of the media mix is critical to its long-term future as a viable communications medium. No, I am not saying print is dead, or it is only valuable when used this way, but there is no question that the ability to more closely tie print into other media will make it a more attractive option for many marketers, who, left to their own devices, just might decide that print has a declining role in their marketing efforts.

I recently spoke with Sascha Voight, CEO of German firm Printechnologics. The company was founded in 2006 as a systems integrator in the field of print and electronics. According to Voight, they quickly discovered that the model they had outlined was not going to work. He said, “You hear about a lot of cool stuff, but when you dig deeper and want to use these technologies to produce something, they don’t always stack up. We had the choice of closing the company because the model we had chosen was going to fail, or create our own technology. We chose the latter path.”

The Printechnologics team came up with the concept of Touchcodes, a type of electronic barcode that can be read by a touchscreen, such as a smartphone or iPad. 3M is an investment partner in the venture, lending the idea good market credibility. Development of the technology was completed last year, and following a testing period, has been in the market about a month.

So what is a Touchcode? Touchcode is an invisible electronic code printed on paper, cardboard, film or labels. The Touchcode is read by established multi-touch hardware, such as smartphones and tablet computers, by simply placing it on the display.

During the usual printing process, conductive material is printed with a clear electronic code between the layers of the media material. Reading devices - such as smartphones, tablets or touchscreens - recognize the code when it is placed on them; the Touchcode software decodes the data and starts the application on the display immediately.

By their very nature, Touchcodes require a special manufacturing process (print) and cannot be copied or duplicated in the same way a QR code can be copied or duplicated.

Some examples include:

• Product tags and labels that contain a Touchcode can be scanned to verify authenticity, cutting down on counterfeiting.
• Similarly, high value items such as tickets to concerts, sporting events, or other activities can have an embedded Touchcode that can be scanned by a smartphone or other touchscreen device at the gate to ensure tickets are valid.
• A Touchcode embedded in a product installation guide could activate a how-to video that will help users better understand the installation process.
• Touchcodes in magazines or other printed publications can be used to link rich media to a story. Perhaps you are perusing an in-flight magazine that is reviewing a travel destination. Simply read the code with your phone or tablet to access a video showing more detail.

These are just a few of the opportunities a Touchcode might provide, and the options are only limited by your imagination.

The big issue for Touchcodes and Printechnologics will be educating the marketplace and gaining critical mass. Consider how long it took for QR codes to catch on, and there are still a lot of people out there who don’t know what they are. Also, a QR code, while not the most attractive thing in the world, is noticeable. Marketers who implement Touchcodes will have to decide how to indicate that something is scannable and what to do with it.

Of course, if you are talking about event tickets, or the ability for retailers to ensure products are not counterfeit, we may see faster adoption. But if you are including a Touchcode in a magazine or on a postcard or other mailer, it gets more complicated.

Also, the production of Touchcodes is currently limited to offset or flexo production processes; they cannot be applied with digital printing, and thus “personalized” Touchcodes are out, at least for the present.

Nonetheless, some early adopters are already jumping on board. Springer, one of Europe’s largest publishers, recently integrated Touchcodes into one of its magazines. An Israeli company start a collectible trading card game that uses Touchcodes. In addition to 3M, Voight indicates the company is working with a number of well-known global brands on pilot projects for use of this technology.

Why should you care? Printechnologics is licensing the Touchcode technology. Adding a Touchcode to a printed piece costs a fraction of a cent, and the licensing model operates on the honor system. So, for example, if a publisher is printing 20,000 magazines, each with 2 Touchcodes, they would pay Printechnologics for 40,000 “clicks,” if you will. Print Technologics will not be printing Touchcodes; printers will do that. So it opens up another business opportunity for printing firms (or marketing services providers, if you prefer), and the opportunity to introduce something new to customers.

Time will tell whether this technology makes it to critical mass. The company as begun to gather an impressive array of partners already. And as a print service provider, especially in the U.S., there is virtually no risk in offering Touchcodes as an option. It makes you look good by bringing something new and innovative to marketing clients, and you only pay once you actually produce something that includes Touchcodes.

What do you think? Is this something that has legs? Would love to hear from you!