HARRISVILLE, RI -- TrendWatch released its latest special report today titled "Direct-to: Are We There Yet?" Direct-to presents the TrendWatch perspective on direct-to-plate, direct-to-press, and digital color printing. This special report analyzes the state of the various "direct-to" technologies and is supported with recent survey results from several TrendWatch surveys of printers, publishers, and creative professionals. Also included in this report is an informative historical perspective of the ups and downs that "direct-to" technologies have had in the last 25 years. This report candidly discusses the critical business issues of direct-to workflows and where prepress fits. It answers the question "are we there yet?" with a frank discussion about direct-to-press and which shops see this technology as a way to grow their businesses and plan to invest in it. TrendWatch also takes a hard look at digital color printing and how this technology is faring in today's markets. This report evaluates why variable data printing has not taken off for commercial digital printers as once predicted. It also delivers controversial suggestions for printers who are struggling to grow in the Internet age. "For years, manufacturers have overestimated the demand for direct-to technologies because they never really understood the complex factors of printing plant operations and print buyer relationships," says TrendWatch Partner, Dr. Joseph Webb. "Finally, the technologies of desktop publishing, networking, communications, have converged with key business factors like employee shortages and lack of pricing power to create a willing marketplace. But the markets of direct-to-plate, direct-to-press, and digital color printing are quite different. We explain the why and how of these differences for suppliers and users." "For many years, interest in direct-to-press and direct-to-plate have spiraled around each other, almost double helix-like, added TrendWatch Partner Jim Whittington. "There are good reasons why these markets are so different in their development." "Also, there has been a great deal of interest in variable-data printing, but really only from the trade press, who find themselves bemused by the technology," continued Whittington. "As for marketers, they are less sanguine, and often are scarcely even familiar with the technology. Increasingly, when they are asked about personalization, they talk about how their e-commerce business or company web site runs, never mentioning print."