EDITOR'S notebook

Still not convinced, or think that these services are only suitable for the largest printing operations? Then consider the recent findings from the National Association of Printing Leadership's 2003 "Future of Print" survey, which polled 145 companies with annual sales ranging from $200,000 to $200 million. "In considering which companies are going to be around in five years, the temptation is to conclude the bigger the company, the better the odds," notes Andrew Paparozzi, NAPL vice president and chief economist. "However, enduring success will be reserved not for companies of a particular size, but for those who understand that they are in the communications business, not the ink-on-paper business, and who are able to meet their customers' growing demand for new communications options and preferences." As such, lithographic printing and associated prepress and bindery services are expected to fall, on average, from 81.6 percent of revenues today to 69.1 percent by 2007. At the same time, digital printing is expected to increase from 5.6 percent of sales to 12.6 percent in 2007, according to the survey findings, with companies of all sizes forecasting that digital sales would more than double.