Alliance Makes Digital Print Research Available

As part of its Digital Print 2007 initiative, the Digital Printing Council and the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation) have formed an alliance with PRIMIR.

As part of its Digital Print 2007 initiative, the Digital Printing Council, a core service of PIA/GATF (Printing Industries of America and the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation) have formed an alliance with PRIMIR.

PRIMIR, the Print Industries Market Information and Research organisation formed when GAMIS and NPES Market Research merged in 2005, will provide content for PIA/GATF DPC members.

PRIMIR content based on its research will appear as a regular feature in Digital Print Report.

The first PRIMIR content appears in the January issue of Digital Print Report.

The Digital Print Report is a monthly newsletter containing industry news, trends and data relating to analysis of the digital printing market.

The newsletter, distributed to DPC's premiere members and available online, is also being bound in to PIA/GATF's Management Portfolio and GATF World magazines as an insert this year.

Michael Makin PIA/GATF's chief executive officer, said: "This is a tremendous value-add for our members.

Our strategic emphasis on digital printing in 2007 mandates that we provide the best and most relevant information to our members and what we will be able to give them through our own extensive resources, as well as courtesy of PRIMIR, is exactly that.

It is high calibre, quality research that complements perfectly our existing and new digital printing programmes.

We're always happy to be able to collaborate and combine our extensive resources and expertise with organisations such as PRIMIR for the benefit of our members." William K 'Kip' Smythe, PRIMIR's president, added: "From the time PRIMIR was formed, Michael Makin and I agreed that we would find ways to bring PIA/GATF members PRIMIR's important and very relevant, industry data.

Our content contributions to the Digital Print Report is the first step and we are confident that PIA/GATF members will consequently seek further PRIMIR information and possibly participate in PRIMIR research activities." Jackie Bland, PRIMIR's managing director, saod her colleagues and PRIMIR's board were quick to approve the plan and added: "PIA/GATF gives us the opportunity to reach not only more printers, but printers who, given their membership in PIA/GATF, are predisposed to appreciating the worthiness of the in-depth research we provide." Digital Printing Council director Julie Shaffer added: "The value of what we are getting from PRIMIR cannot be overstated.

PRIMIR is giving PIA/GATF members significant slices of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of primary research.

PRIMIR offers quality material on a par with what we generate here at PIA/GATF but it fills in some important subject-area gaps." And because PIA/GATF will bring its productivity-oriented analysis to the PRIMIR research - thereby drawing connections between PRIMIR findings and members' applications - PIA/GATF members gain even more exclusive benefit from the relationship, she added.

Printing industry experts are claimed to hold PRIMIR research in high esteem for many reasons, amongst which is the organisation's methodology.

To begin with, the organisation employs a multi-faceted process for selecting research topics.

PRIMIR surveys both PRIMIR and NPES members regarding market research study topics every year.

The PRIMIR executive committee compiles a list based on that input and this list is sent out to PRIMIR and NPES members for ranking.

The result is a proposed roster of topics that are identified for funding, said the organisation.

A PRIMIR 'task force' is charged with determining the best course of action for each study.

The task force looks at all PRIMIR industry segments - printer, paper, ink and chemicals, equipment, presses and supplies, for example and collaboratively determines the key issues and challenges for study.

PRIMIR said its market research is designed and managed by the PRIMIR members.

Industry and subject experts are commissioned for the studies, in which interviews, surveys and review of secondary research are conducted.

Recent research topics covered include package printing, trends in printing processes and run lengths, the future of catalogues, electronic displacement of print and colour proofing dynamics, for instance.

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