As digital technology developed throughout the ‘noughties’ new opportunities arose for printers.
Digital Printer: February 2009
New markets in the picture
As cameras go digital, new opportunities are opening for digitally printed photographic products. You don’t have to be a big photofinisher to get into it either.
If you’re operating a decent quality digital press then there could be a market opportunity in offering photographic printed products. You don’t need to be a big photo lab or have a deal with a retail chain. The barriers to initial entry are surprisingly low and yet the profit margins can be satisfyingly high.
The message from equipment suppliers and users alike is that assuming you have a suitable press in the first place, then you can start off small with off-the-shelf hosted web storefront and some low cost manual finishing gear.
You can run the photo products on a part time basis alongside other commercial work and build it up as an additional service. If it works then it is an attractive revenue generator. If it doesn’t take off then the outlay hasn’t been too high. The key to success seems to be in thinking up attractive products and learning how to sell the concept effectively.
