DESIGNING THE FUTURE
AI: The third great revolution in print
Like the Gutenburg press and digital print before it, Artificial Intelligence is transforming print into something faster, smarter, and more creative than ever before.
In this Insight article, Sanjay Sicka, Head of Corporate Print at Commercial, explores how AI is set to spark the third great print revolution, and what that will mean for businesses ready to embrace it.
By Sanjay Sicka, Commercial’s Head of Corporate Print
Read time 4-5 minutes
Think back to 1986…
Top Gun was flying high at the box office, Ferris Bueller was taking the day off, and Chernobyl became a word we all wished we didn’t know.
In Britain, Fergie meant a royal newlywed, not a Scottish football manager, and if your shoulders weren’t wider than a doorway, your suit wasn’t doing its job.
It was also the year print changed forever.
Not since Gutenberg’s press, 500 years earlier, had there been such a seismic shift in how words found their way to paper.
The Wapping dispute between the Fleet Street publishers and the workers who produced newspaper pages marked the end of hot metal and linotype.
Rupert Murdoch took on the all-powerful print unions and won. Hot metal and those print workers were replaced.
In their place came digital print: Cheaper, faster, and – much like your VHS recorder – suddenly indispensable.
If Gutenberg was the first, this was the second great revolution in print. And today, we stand on the brink of the third.
A NEW ERA FOR PRINT
Artificial Intelligence promises to reshape our industry just as profoundly – not only in how we produce print, but in what print means to businesses, consumers, and society.
To coin a phrase straight from the time, those who embrace it early will be the Mavericks. Those who resist may end up stuck in the danger zone.
So, what’s going to change? And more pertinently what do I believe will be the main AI developments that print managers will need to consider, to avoid being left behind?
Here are six WAYS AI will Revolutionise the world of print
Automation to increase speed and decrease costs
Automation means quicker turnaround times, fewer delays, and more competitive pricing.
With AI streamlining workflows and reducing manual steps, print projects get delivered faster and more cost-effectively – without a risk to compromising quality.
Smarter, more impactful, finishing touches
AI-powered embellishment tools now make premium finishes more accessible.
That means print materials with greater creativity, style, and impact, turning brochures, packaging, or marketing assets into standout pieces that feel like premium products, not commodities.
New possibilities with 3D and Hybrid Print
Print is no longer just about two-dimensions.
With AI supporting 3D and hybrid print innovations, businesses can explore prototypes, packaging solutions, or promotional items that will add real depth – figuratively, and literally – as well as some uniqueness to campaigns.
Use AI to increase the sustainability of your print operation
Sustainability is now a client priority. AI helps identify where waste, energy, and resources can be reduced.
Clients get print solutions that not only look great, but support their environmental goals, lower their carbon footprint, and provide measurable green credentials too.
Generative AI and VDP can customise and personalise
Generative AI and Variable Data Printing make it possible to create highly personalised designs at scale, and at speed.
That means print campaigns that speak directly to each client, through unique variations, tailored messaging, and creative designs that can be produced quickly and at consistent quality.
Humans + AI = a better client experience and service
AI works best when paired with skilled people.
By upskilling teams, clients benefit from experts who combine the techniques, knowledge and craftsmanship of skilled print professionals, with the latest technology. This delivers smarter advice, better solutions, and creative results that AI alone could never achieve in isolation.
STEPPING INTO THE FUTURE
Some of this may sound a touch far-fetched.
But had you stepped onto a Fleet Street shop floor in 1985 and predicted the end of linotype, the laughter would have been louder than those rumbling presses.
And as I mentioned earlier, as a business, we are already stepping into the future.
At Commercial, AI is being embraced across all 12 areas of our expertise as a tool to help redefine how we do business.
The key word in that sentence being help.
Clinging to old ways won’t work, and trying too much too soon, could also lead to problems.
AI isn’t here to replace the human touch. It’s here to amplify it, making print faster, smarter, more creative, and more personal than ever before.
ADDED (SOCIAL) IMPACT
And the real difference maker we provide at Commercial is our link to our B Corp accredited social enterprise, Commercial Foundation.
Print orders that are placed with the Foundation do more than deliver quality products – they deliver significant Social Value Return on Investment (SROI) too.
They also provide young people between the ages of 16-25 with a chance to gain real-life work experience, that could change their lives. There’s nothing artificial about that!
I’m genuinely excited about what lies ahead. Print is in my blood, and I’ve seen the industry adapt and evolve time and again when new technologies arrived.
And as I started by reminiscing about 1986, it seems fitting to finish with the words of a legend of that age too.
“Vivre la révolution, Rodney… Vivre la révolution. Mange tout.”
Want to know more about how AI in print?
Speak to our Business Transformation Specialists today
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