Digital printing technology has made printing on demand a reality, and Bytes Document Solutions (BDS) says many educational institutions throughout southern Africa are investing in the new generation of digital print equipment to enable them to print only as many books as they need.
Gauteng-based BDS has delivered a number of Book Factory solutions locally and in neighbouring states, where there is reported to be a strong call for on-demand printing of A4 and A5 books.
"We are also negotiating with provincial education departments who are looking at using our solution to help overcome text book shortages in schools," says BDS marketing manager Paul Haglich.
At last week`s Synergy conference hosted by BDS and Xerox at Caesars Gauteng, the Book Factory was used to produce personalised copies of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, complete with full-colour cover, in a few minutes. "Only digital printing provides the option of personalised printing," says Haglich.
"The Book Factory is ideal for book runs of less than a thousand. This is particularly suited to universities and other educational institutions wanting to print a limited run of a publication or even selected parts of books."
Haglich says many traditional printing companies are also using digital printing solutions to provide limited run services. "This makes printing a possibility for people wanting to print only a couple of hundred books, such as authors wanting to test the market before committing to bigger print orders."
The Book Factory is an automated in-line book finishing system, typically comprising a Xerox DigiPath document preparation unit, a Document Services Platform and a DocuTech printer that feed into Bourg stacking, perforating, folding, rotating, binding and trimming units.
The cost of the Book Factory depends on the choice of printer and trimmer, but Haglich estimates the average installation will cost around R3.4 million.
Haglich notes that although not yet economically viable for print runs in excess of a thousand, full-colour digital printing complements traditional high-volume presses and delivers print solutions to what was previously a neglected market.
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