In times of digitalization, time is probably more money than ever. Printing companies also recognized this a few years ago and are increasingly offering their customers the option of web-to-print. The trend is now even moving in the direction of pure online print shops gradually outstripping traditional print shops.
Web-to-print, sometimes found in a highly modern way under the term “Web2Print”, saves time and costs. This is because advice from a specialist in the printing sector is largely unnecessary. The customer designs his own templates and also places the print order autonomously. But what does it actually take for web-to-print to work?
The web-to-print systems
Web-to-print can be used to edit standardised print products individually. Standardised printed matter is, for example, advertising material or business stationery such as business cards or a company’s stationery. There are two types of web portals for web-to-print. The so-called closed shops are self-contained portals that are only accessible to a predefined user group via an intranet environment. The target group here is preferably business-to-business customers.
The second area, the so-called Open Shops, are portals accessible to every customer via the Internet, also to private customers in the business-to-consumer segment. Open shops often offer not only printed matter in paper format, but also individual advertising materials such as pens, coffee cups, USB sticks and much more. Whether open-shop or closed-shop system, both portals must meet the requirement of intuitive usability based on a user-oriented design in order for them to exist in the long term.
So how does web-to-print work?
In a web-to-print system, the customer selects a standardized product. Standardization refers to a type of paper, the number of colors or even the paper size, for example. A design editor then offers the possibility of individualization. In closed-shop systems, a static element is usually provided, often the corporate design or the company’s own logo. This element can be integrated into the template. As a rule, no further adjustment is provided for here and is also not possible.
All other areas can be individually designed and adapted in the editor. After completion, print data is automatically generated as a PDF file and the PDF is then uploaded. The actual creation of the print template takes place offline. In the “Web-to-Publish” variant, which is often used synonymously, the documents are edited and created online in the editor. With both options, the customer can then decide on the scheduling, scope and possibly also future order cycle.
Result
A good web-to-print system offers its users various advantages. Standardised business stationery such as letterheads, business cards or flyers and brochures as well as packaging and labels can be created just as easily as your own advertising material. For example, confectionery packaging or other products matching the company can also be provided with your own corporate design on certain occasions. The order is always flexible according to the customer’s specifications.
Further advantages result from the operation via web browser, the installation including familiarization with software is no longer necessary. Thanks to automated PDF file creation, lengthy processes of adjustments and revisions are minimized. Once the customer has created his templates, a reorder is usually possible in the shortest possible time. On the one hand, this saves storage costs, e.g. for packaging at the customer’s site, and offers a high degree of flexibility depending on demand.
One disadvantage of web-to-print for some customers can be the limited design freedom of the printed products. If the customer has any questions about his project, he is also dependent on customer service. This service is usually provided by telephone, which may make communication with regard to design elements difficult. Despite these restrictions, however, the advantages mentioned outweigh the disadvantages from the point of view of many customers.