Digital Book Production: The Demands of On Demand

Different Thresholds

Not every book publishing market has reached the digital print tipping point, nor is the switch from offset to digital universal under all conditions. In the trade market, both EP and inkjet have achieved widespread acceptance, but only for certain quantities and total run lengths. "From a financial perspective, printing a large number of trade books is still more cost-effective on offset than it is on inkjet," says Canon Solutions America's Marketing Director Kris Albee. "There's a break-even point; today it's around 5,000 copies. Above that, offset is still the better choice. For a book you expect will sell well, the tried-and-true offset approach is still best. So, for the first run of, let's say, 100,000 copies, and probably the second run, you're better off using offset. However, for the shorter third or fourth runs, inkjet is more cost-effective."