Woo! Helvetica. I have yet to find Helvetica on any of my computer applications, and I am super happy it's on Blogger :)
Anyway.. lol..
My first article I read was "Digital Printing: Current and Future Applications" by Estelle Jobson. Throughout this article, Jobson describes current applications of digital printing, which include "self-publishing, printing for the educational market, stocking libraries, keeping back-lists alive, assisting university presses, and the futuristic book-ATM vision" (20).
I found quite quickly that this article discusses digital printing and how it's used in different settings, rather than actual information on how digital printing itself as changed, but the information is still useful for information on how digital printing is being used today and why it's so important. I was disappointed at first that this article didn't really answer anything for my question, but figured it had some good information, and even research that didn't answer many questions still is research and that's all part of the process..
So back to the reading..
In the first section of her article, Jobson discusses the self-published author and how this trend has become popular among many authors. There are many companies that offer self-publishing, and she states that "these companies enable aspiring authors to dispense with publishers in the traditional sense and become their own publishers" (20). Some of these companies include: Xlibris, Replica Books, Lightning Source, and Advanced Self-Publishing. She discusses how these companies are subsidiaries of other larger distribution companies and that they hold the widest reach for print-on-demand publishing. After using these services, the author will then have to market their book/materials themselves, though some of these companies offer help with marketing.
She shows that there are not many huge success stories from self-publishing today, but some of them do include Chicken Soup for the Soul, and The Bridges of Madison County.
In the next section of her article, Jobson discusses how digital printing helps keep back-lists alive. Many traditional publishers will use a print-on-demand service to keep many titles from being out of print. Also, this option is useful with university presses, many of which will never have to reprint their volumes again, but have the option to have them available when needed. This service is also helping authors in developing countries. The African Books Collective, located in the United Kingdom, sells and distributes African titles to the United States and Europe through the print-on-demand service, Lightning Source.
The print-on-demand service called Replica Books has also helped many libraries restock their shelves with out-of-print or out-of-stock titles. Since it began in 1997, its out-of-stock database has grown from 45 to over 13,000 titles. Their service accepts digitized (PDF) files and also provides scanning services to those titles that were printed before 1990 and have not been digitized. The finishing options include hardback and paperback options.
An option that she briefly touches on is the idea from the company 3BillionBooks (3BB) who has plans to create a global network of print-on-demand titles using technology from a machine they have called PerfectBook, a sort of book-ATM. The machine would be the size of an industrial photocopier and would print out, trim, and bind books one at a time. "The actual machines, which cost about $100,000, will be purchased and owned by local entrepreneurs in different countries around the world. Initially, the owner of a PerfectBook machine is expected to act as an interface between the technology and the buyer" (23). The long term dream is for these PerfectBook machines to be installed in public places, such as college campuses, bookstores, coffee shops, etc.
Jobson states that the most beneficial application for digital processes is technical manuals, documents, financial reports, legal reports, tax statements, ballots, and many other areas that create documents that are constantly changing.
In the future, she believes that more and more people will want to customize their own printing needs and need print-on-demand services. She states that people may want to make their own gardening books, cookbooks, dog training books, etc., and will need a place to print them without the hassle of a traditional publisher.
She concludes her article with stating that to be successful in the future, publishers will have to figure out ways to stay ahead of the print-on-demand companies and make sure to keep offering services to help customize print needs of their customers.
Jobson, Estelle. "Digital Printing: Current and Future Applications." Publishing Research Quarterly 19, no. 1 (Spring2003 2003): 20.Communication & Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 22, 2011).
