Web-to-Print: Emphasizing Both Concept and Success

Release Date： 2024-05-20 16:13:02 View Count： 2

The increasing number of printing enterprises are now viewing web-to-print as a key tool for capturing the market. In China, the development of online printing has evolved beyond mere concepts, with its advantages gradually surfacing and positioning it as the dominant force in the future print market.

The application scope of web-to-print encompasses services such as gang-run printing, XX digital printing, and print-on-demand (POD). Broadly, any workflow related to printing that is completed via the internet can be classified as "web-to-print." These systems enable printing companies to significantly expand their service areas and facilitate quick online printing services. The advent of internet technology has not only transformed how people order printed materials but also revolutionized the business processes of printing companies and services, leading to a profound shift in industry dynamics.

In recent years, fueled by the rapid growth of the internet industry and advancements in computer technology alongside the proliferation of e-commerce, web-to-print has been growing at an annual rate exceeding 200%. In Western markets, personalized, digital, and three-dimensional e-commerce printing started earlier and currently accounts for over 70% of total printing volume. In the Chinese market, consumer familiarity and acceptance of e-commerce have risen steadily over the past decade. On the printing front alone, Taobao annually handles printing orders worth 2.8 billion yuan, indicating that web-to-print is gaining widespread market recognition. Domestic online printing primarily focuses on short-run commercial jobs, with e-commerce printing achieving a total output value surpassing 50 billion yuan, representing around 10% of total printing business. While printing firms are actively exploring and experimenting with various operational models, some of which have yielded positive results and contributed to corporate growth, there remains a gap to bridge before reaching a mature, scaled web-to-print model. Challenges persist in this developmental journey.

The internet era's printing method, web-to-print systems, represents a fusion of the internet with the traditional printing industry, functioning as a comprehensive solution covering most aspects of the printing process, including self-service quoting, online ordering and order management, online design, file uploads, online communication, member management, and shipping order management. In practice, diverse models have emerged to facilitate web-to-print’s growth, leveraging digital printing’s advantage in short runs to develop on-demand printing models. Digital printing, where each piece can be unique, adopting traditional sales methods would incur high costs and hinder equipment efficiency. Thus, many digital printers leverage virtual online stores to showcase their services and products, allowing customers to select based on their needs, thereby drastically reducing the cost of acquiring digital print business. This has acted as a catalyst for the rise of web-to-print. Clients can complete design and production processes online, reducing hassle for printers while providing clients with an engaging experience. Web-to-print on-demand also embodies the concept of personalized printing, catering to individualized products like personal photo albums and books, which have been warmly received by the market.

Presently, a collaborative approach among several printing enterprises within a region through a shared online platform to secure business is gaining traction. By joining a single platform aggregating printing services from across regions, printing companies bid for relevant orders based on their equipment and service offerings – a model known as "web-to-print alliances." These alliances offer numerous benefits, including rapid online promotion and marketing cost reduction, complementing each other's strengths through the platform, transitioning from individual operations to collective printing services, consolidating industry resources, enhancing participation enthusiasm, streamlining transaction processes, expanding industry influence, and scaling up decentralized web-to-print operations into a core competitive force. In China, web-to-print alliances are emerging, either independently developed or collaboratively built by enterprises. Alliance membership fosters unified marketing and business models, and as more companies join, the brand advantage of the platform becomes more pronounced.

The concept of ganging, initially initiated by Taiwanese printers, replaces conventional sales representatives with an online ordering system. Initially not favored by traditional printers, this new business model has rapidly developed in small and medium-sized printing enterprises in the Pearl River Delta region and is expanding northward, with increased collaboration among multiple printers using ganging printing strategies to compete in the market. Ganging printing consolidates print jobs with similar quantities and paper types from different clients onto one plate, printing them together before separating, suitable for small-volume orders, sharing setup costs and reducing printing expenses. Online ganging software automates the process, fully realizing web-to-print ganging. However, ganging is typically for jobs with less stringent color requirements, as combining different clients' jobs may result in noticeable color discrepancies.

Web-to-print in China has witnessed a surge in client and enterprise engagement in online product and service ordering, presenting new opportunities for digital printing service providers. In developed countries, 66.5% of printing buyers currently use web-to-print services provided internally or externally, compared to just 11% a decade ago. Moreover, nearly 70% of printing service suppliers offer web-to-print services, with the majority securing almost half of their print orders via the internet, reflecting the accelerating global growth of web-to-print services. In China, since the mid-to-late 1990s, web-to-print concepts emerged alongside the development and popularization of internet technology. The internet enabled information transmission, making applications such as information dissemination, business management, real-time tracking, and instant communication ubiquitous. Offering various services directly to end-users via the internet became possible, giving birth to the concept of convenient printing—web-to-print. Initially defined as a prepress workflow connecting online digital content with print production, web-to-print today transcends being a mere printing method, evolving into a solution for offering printing services via the internet, enabling customers to obtain desired prints using personal computers.

Numerous printing websites have emerged domestically, signaling a thriving web-to-print market. It transforms not only the way printing materials are ordered but also alters the business processes of printing service suppliers and buyers, encompassing online prepress, remote proofing, generation of personalized files via server networks in the print and media industry, and online technical support provided by printing equipment manufacturers. From ordering to job tracking, reordering, and payment, all fall under the umbrella of web-to-print. Optimists view the marriage of digital printing and the internet as eliminating bottlenecks for personalized and commercial work, hailing it as another revolutionary breakthrough for the printing industry.

Web-to-print represents a new business model, a new growth point, and a fresh value proposition for many small and medium-sized enterprises seeking transformation. Lacking substantial resources, these enterprises must find alternative paths to compete. Web-to-print offers a comprehensive platform, enabling even those without equipment advantages to operate a web-to-print system, outsourcing high-demand products to partner printers. Large printing enterprises, with their robust capabilities, hold clear advantages in fierce competition, often leading in technology and boasting stable, high-volume business. Web-to-print, however, typically caters to short-run jobs, which are not their primary focus. Among SMEs adopting web-to-print, many are digital printers, closely aligned with IT technology, making them the segment most receptive to web-to-print.

The internet’s influence cannot be underestimated. Web-to-print has reshaped the interaction between printers and clients, enhancing efficiency, especially amidst the financial crisis, where it provided a glimmer of hope for struggling printers. Firms are exploring how to leverage internet technologies and web-to-print interfaces to expand their markets and experiment with business models. In China, various web-to-print platforms are emerging, though profitability varies greatly. Despite the market’s positive signals, domestic attention towards web-to-print lags behind developed markets. Currently, most web-to-print jobs in China center on personalization rather than commercial printing.

Implementing web-to-print requires a clear understanding of target markets and a well-defined profit model. Many printers still position themselves as manufacturing entities at the backend of a traditional supply chain, with limited business types confined to order-taking, processing, and delivery. Identifying profitable models to transform traditional practices is crucial. Firms must position themselves upstream in the value chain, capable of handling everything from creative design to final prints, to unlock greater profit potential.

Web-to-print, an offshoot of e-commerce tailored for the printing industry, is a comprehensive solution and an expanding online printing value-added platform. As more printing enterprises view it as a market conquest tool, its advantages are increasingly evident, marking it as the future leader of the print market.

Shifting from traditional methods, where printers and clients coordinate timing, to web-to-print necessitates efficiency enhancements and time-saving measures. Customers seeking control opt for web-to-print, initiating the process from their desktop. Printers can reduce service staff while self-service capabilities save time and money for all parties involved. Long trips and repeated visits to printers become unnecessary, with communication handled online. Firms can decrease production staff without compromising task volume and even expand business. Low prices attract consumers who recognize price differences. With advanced internet technology and logistics, businesses increasingly order printing services online to save costs, making web-to-print platforms significant players in the commercial printing sector. Statistics indicate that monthly expenditures of roughly 2,000 yuan on business cards, flyers, and coupons, with 80% spent online, highlight the demand for web-to-print. With improved internet infrastructure and mature hardware processes, the primary challenge lies in printers’ comprehension and adoption of web-to-print. Some printers seek simple quote functions, others overly complex platforms, indicating a misunderstanding of web-to-print's essence. Successful firms have transitioned from old models to embrace online business philosophies, establishing comprehensive management systems from client engagement to service and logistics, setting an example for aspiring web-to-print enterprises.

Due to internet speed limitations and personalized demands, web-to-print currently offers modular products of fixed varieties, unsuitable for producing large quantities of complex items. Therefore, expanding product and service offerings, including value-added services like insurance, finance, securities, telecom printing, and personalized packaging, is vital. Enhancing user experiences involves diligent customer service, starting with patient consultation handling. Users new to online printing channels may face uncertainties and operational hurdles, and patient staff can alleviate these concerns. Design consultations require equal patience. To broaden the customer base, excellent after-sales service is crucial. For platform errors, compensation should be offered, and user feedback should be sincerely considered. Packaging and logistics issues must be closely monitored to ensure a satisfying overall experience.

Web-to-print is a production process or method of producing prints, where competition goes beyond pricing to include efficiency improvement, waste reduction, and energy conservation. Differentiation is essential to avoid market. For web-to-print adopters, understanding customer needs and delivering optimal solutions is paramount, prioritizing customer satisfaction over sales targets. As web-to-print signifies a new industry trend with a vast market potential, with 15% of business printing suitable for web-to-print, technological innovation and promotion are pivotal. In China, challenges lie in entrenched customer shopping habits and the substantial investment required for both web-to-print and traditional printing setups, compounded by a shortage of skilled operators. However, advancing technology and persistent efforts from printing software developers will drive web-to-print forward.

Web-to-print involves production completion online, while the web manages orders, pricing, production scheduling, sorting, and logistics. Thus, the success of web-to-print solutions heavily depends on the front-end online platform and back-end automated production development. Professionals versed in both internet technology and printing workflows are invaluable assets for printing firms offering web-to-print solutions.

Currently, web-to-print’s focus is on commercial printing jobs, employing B2B models collaborating with established corporations for online promotion and stable client acquisition, and B2C models targeting individual consumers directly. Many adopt a dual strategy, establishing integrated systems for information, printing, file, logistics, customer, and warehouse management to provide streamlined printing services. They expand product ranges and service types, reducing operating costs. For companies, annual spending on graphic design and printing is substantial, and web-to-print effectively controls costs while transparent online pricing eliminates kickbacks, resulting in significant savings. For users, web-to-print platforms are notably cheaper, prompting a shift from traditional printing. Ultimately, product quality is paramount. Leading platforms tout excellent design resources and international-standard printing equipment, ensuring top-notch print quality, color consistency, and material integrity.

With society’s division of labor, web-to-print will specialize further, with printing services and web platforms managed by respective experts for mutual benefit. International experience suggests that web-to-print’s requires deep penetration into households and public acceptance, alongside continuous product improvement. Web-to-print is the future, and success hinges on enhancing service quality and production standards, aligning websites closely with daily life for ultimate triumph.

Web-to-Print

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