The print industry is changing at a rapid pace. Graphic communications service providers will continue to face a parade of shiny new technologies, tools, and platforms that promise to change everything. With so much fluctuation, it's important to filter the core trends from the noise to understand what will shape the graphic communications landscape this year. We're all trying to stay a step ahead of the competition and monetize on new and emerging trends. Success in 2013 will be linked to staying the course on the investments you have already made as well as evaluating new market opportunities.

This two-part series will share my perspective on the top 10 trends that you should be thinking about as you plan for 2013. Part one focuses on areas where you need to “stay the course” in terms of investing in digital print, while part two will look at the opportunities emerging from new media options and alternatives.

First and foremost, 2013 will continue to be all about digital color. Digital color represents a market growth opportunity for technology vendors as well as users. InfoTrends continually measures the retail value of print—the dollars that change hands between print service providers their customers. As shown in the Figure below, InfoTrends projects that while digital black & white printing will decline, the retail value of digital color print will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% between 2011 and 2016. Service providers must follow the money, and all bets are on digital color this year.