As discussed in Understanding Terminology: Print on Demand (POD), digital printing presses offer a service not possible to provide using traditional offset presses: Variable Data Printing (VDP). With Variable Data Printing you can set up a print run to produce variations within the pieces in the same run. For example, if you want to print a batch of postcards you can print a unique address on each one, and/or a different greeting, or even a different images, and you can print this variable group at the same speed as you would the same number of identical items.
Software Driven Data
With digital presses the print job moves out of software and onto the press. Industry software enables the use of databases from which variable information can be extracted and merged with the project’s template at the point of printing. As long as the variable items fit within the spaces allotted in the layout, the items themselves can differ: photos, colors, greetings, messages, text.
VDP and Targeted Marketing
Personalized data attracts people. For example you are more likely to read a postcard that greets you by name and reminds you of some previous interaction versus one that is clearly mass-produced. And, if you read it, you may act on it, which is the goal of the communication. Thus, promotional mailings and Variable Data Printing work together to increase the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
VDP Cost Considerations
Generally digital printing is recommended for smaller-volume print jobs; offset printing is less expensive per-unit as the number of units go up.
But VDP is only possible on digital presses, even if you need to print a very large quantity of items. So, in theory, you will have to pay more. On the other hand, VDP enables printing of postage and individualized addresses on postcards, for example, saving the costs of having to print them separately and costs of labor to apply them to the postcards — that savings is a factor to consider. In addition as mentioned above, personalization increases the effectiveness of mass-mailings so you will get more value from your marketing effort.
If you have any questions about Variable Data Printing give us a call at 330-597-8560. We can help you determine whether it will enhance your project.
