Why Print Anything Anymore?

Kindle,  iPad, email, e-blasts, e-postcards, e-newsletters, even e-invitations — all seem to make communication on paper seem passé, too slow, too expensive, and not environmentally sustainable. But let’s take a look at these assumptions one at a time.

Passé. If aesthetics, portability, and durability are outmoded then this would be true. As a graphic art printing gives designers more choices in terms of typography, photography, illustration, and layout. The result of photograph or illustration with well-integrated typography and fine paper is still a work of art. And it doesn’t need cable access or batteries or chargers. It can be read in the sunlight, on the beach, or in the most remote wilderness. You can fold it and put in your pocket. You can pass it on to someone else. You can have for years.

Too Slow. True printing is not instantaneous, but it is much more enduring. You can’t click away from print. Important information stays around longer and is absorbed better. A brochure in a doctor’s office telling women about breast cancer or an environmental report on a coffee table are picked up and read – not skimmed. Because it is more permanent, more thought goes into preparing a printed piece. And, finally, new high-quality digital printing has made the process much faster.

Too Expensive. You can look at this in two ways: value and efficiency. Print has a good return on the investment. The Wharton Economic Forecasting Associates found that $167 per person in direct mail earned $2,095 worth of goods per person, scoring a 13 to 1 ROI. Even for nonprofits print is a good investment. A recent study from Target Analytics found that direct mail was the top revenue channel in 2009 for nonprofits — delivering $8 out of every $10 donated. Costs also can be lowered by being more efficient. For example, when direct mail lists are well maintained — no duplicates, bad addresses, etc. — quantity can be lower. Reviewing past projects to calculate leftover quantities can also lower costs. A good graphic designer can often design a project that will optimize the size of a press sheet.

Not Environmentally Sustainable. This is definitely not true today. Paper companies like Mohawk, New Leaf, Utopia, and others are bending over backwards to be “green.”  They are providing paper that is certified as coming from sustainable forests: well-managed forests (no rainforests or ancient timber), people and wildlife is protected, and the chain of supply is audited (from the producer to the printer). And many paper companies are using renewable energy in their manufacturing. The printing process has also come a long way from vegetable-based inks to low- or no-voc printing.

All of this is not to say that we shouldn’t use electronic communication (I’m not crazy), but that in terms of an overall outreach strategy printing should be part of the mix.