In these trying times for the printing industry where few printers are making good money and expanding, the question that is always being asked is what is the future for the printing industry and in particular what is the future for the typical small and medium sized printer? The answer that is often put forward at conferences and in articles in printing magazines is that printers have to change and become "integrated communications providers." I have to admit that I have put forward this concept as a way in which printers should operate. Many of those, including me, who put forward such a proposal, can even quote certain printing companies that have made this change and who appear to be bucking the trend in the industry by growing their businesses.

It is very easy for journalists, consultants and the like to indicate that the future is for printers to become integrated communications companies, but for many printers it is very difficult for them to change what they are doing and how they operate. Before going forward with my comments I should perhaps outline what is an integrated communications company. Essentially this is a company where printing is just a part of a mix of different businesses that all work together to provide a total service of communications for their customers. This will often mean that these companies will be a "one stop shop" providing a total range of services so customers do not have deal with multiple companies to produce for example a complete marketing campaign.

Now printers have for many years provided more than just putting marks on paper. Many printers operate logistics services for their clients providing warehousing and distribution of printed products for clients. Other printers have their own creative departments handling design work for clients for work they will later print. With the move to digital prepress and digital printing some printers have extended their computing expertise used in prepress to handle some IT work for clients in areas such as database management and web design. A few digital printers are extending this to offer services for personalisation of printing for one to one marketing. When all these items are put together we are moving into the world of integrated communications companies.