NEW YORK -- January 23, 2006 -- TrendWatch Graphic Arts today released its latest Special Report on variable data printing in the commercial printing, creative, and publishing markets. "Variable Data Printing 2006: Growth and Changes in the Marketplace" takes a comprehensive look at the continued growth and expansion of variable data printing (also called "personalization" or "1:1 print marketing) into these key market segments. This Special Report looks at the data from four perspectives: 1. Historical trend lines on the perception of VDP as a sales opportunity and business challenge, whether these jobs are produced on a digital press, color copier, or laser printer. 2. Detailed data on the percentage of printers and creatives producing VDP, at what level of sophistication, and how quickly their use or production of these applications is growing or declining. 3. Data on what technologies are being used to output these jobs. 4. The mix of transactional vs. commercial jobs produced by VDP printers, as well as whether graphic arts firms are selling directly to marketers or through traditional creative agencies. Key conclusions from the report... Variable data print is finally on a solid growth track, and we are seeing sharp growth in very key market segments. VDP may not be in the marketing budget of every client, but it's in the marketing budgets of a lot of them. It's an important and growing portion of printers' revenue streams, replacing lost volumes of traditional print runs and helping to increase print's relevance in today's Internet age. Press and VDP software suppliers have done a great job of transitioning into the VDP training and educational arms of their printing customers, making the technological transition from static printer to VDP printer much easier than in years past. Now, the ball is in the printers' courts, and they must learn to do a transition of their own, from printers to marketing services providers and business development partners to their customers. It's not an easy transition, but it's happening. "The marketing world is moving to a relevance-based and 1:1 environment (just look at Amazon.com), and the print portion of that world is no exception," notes Heidi Tolliver-Nigro, TrendWatch GA analyst and author of the report. "If creatives, marketers, and printers think their competitors are not using VDP in their marketing, they are misjudging the market." News Highlights... -- 37% of graphic arts firms (printers and trade shops) produce some sort of VDP jobs in-house -- up from 28% one year ago; -- 18% of digital printers say their volume of full-color VDP jobs with 13+ fields has increased "a little" -- a FIVEFOLD increase from one year ago; -- Commercial printers are almost twice as likely to say they are working primarily with marketers, rather than traditional creative agencies, than trade shops -- 51% vs. 29%; -- 16% of creatives say their use of VDP has increased "a little" (1-25%) or "a lot" (25% or more); -- The percentage of publishers who see VDP as a top sales opportunity has risen from 2% in Q2 2002 to 8% today. Availability... TrendWatch Graphic Arts "Variable Data Printing 2006: Growth and Changes in the Marketplace" is available for purchase by visiting the secure TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore online at www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com/special or by phone at 866-873-6310. The price for the 121-page report is $995. TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore customers can download this report in PDF Acrobat format immediately after purchase.