Noel Ward

BACK IN 1996 or so, at the On Demand Show in New York City, there was a pleasant reception at an artsy gallery with great munchies, a bunch of gorgeous fashion models and a plethora of digital print visionaries, illuminati, vendor execs, and assorted hangers-on. It was the launch of PODi—the Print On Demand Initiative.

Anyone who has approached or passed the half-century mark in life is familiar with the stream of mailings from AARP—the American Association of Retired People. Increasingly populated these days by Baby Boomers who adamantly refuse to acknowledge age as a limitation, the organization behind the mailings is a well-oiled machine that relies heavily on print and mail to acquire and service nearly 40 million loyal members. The lion's share of the print and mail that supports AARP's internal needs comes out of the Print Services operation at AARP's Washington, D.C., headquarters.

In-plants have the opportunity to change the scope of their offerings by adding the same kinds of non-print services offered by many commercial operations. These new offerings—often termed cross-media or integrated services—typically involve some type of outgoing marketing offers or other communications to customers or prospects.

One technology that may be finding a home on your shop floor is inkjet printing. If the hopes and dreams of equipment providers play out, full-color inkjet presses may soon coexist alongside offset and electrophotographic systems.

A sudden workload increase came when cosmetics company Mary Kay Inc. shifted the printing and folding of product inserts from outside printing suppliers to the company's in-plant facility in Carrollton, Texas. "It hit us like a ton of bricks" recalls Keith Hopson. "We didn't know it was coming until we were flooded with work."