One of the topics regularly discussed in TrendWatch GA reports and by TWGA analysts is how clearly the data reflect the fundamental changes we are experiencing in the marketplace and how quickly those changes are occurring. Executives who ignore these shifts do so at their peril. It’s easier to believe that the business and workflow environment is changing less rapidly than it really is, but it wouldn’t be true. Proofing is no exception.

Gone are the days in which printers had comfortable, profitable proofing businesses to complement their offset volumes. Not only is proofing no longer as profitable, but the volumes aren’t what they once were. Clients still do hard copy proofing, but they are becoming increasingly comfortable with desktop and soft proofing methods; and the number of applications for which those methods are considered acceptable is growing.

This observation may not exactly be a shocker, but the degree to which this shift has occurred may be a surprise. Like the rest of the world, it appears, the commercial printing industry is flat.