Customised printing new hope for industry: chamber chairman

Khaled Abdou: “Customised printing is also expected to revolutionise the printing industry.” ; Dr Abdul Latif al-Khaja: “In the next 50 years, you will hardly see people reading newspapers.”

 By Peter Alagos/Business Reporter

Industry experts have predicted that there would be a substantial decline in the volume of paper to be used by the print media due to the ubiquitous presence of multimedia devices and the industry’s vertical shift to online channels.

“In the next 50 years, you will hardly see people reading newspapers,” GCC business consultant Dr Abdul Latif al-Khaja told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the launching of the Qatar Plastic, Printing and Packaging (QPPP) Exhibition scheduled for October 26-28 at the QNCC.

Al-Khaja clarified that he was referring to the habit of reading the hard copy of newspapers, which will suffer a significant loss in readership due to the pervasiveness of electronic gadgets where many, especially the youth, have steadily shifted.

With the help of his tablet, al-Khaja said he is able to read as many as nine different newspapers as soon as he gets up at 4am. Even in the absence of the actual newsprint, al-Khaja said he is able to keep himself abreast with local and international current events with just a swipe of his finger.

He stressed that majority of people who own tablets or smartphones are capable of accessing information in non-traditional form and in multimedia content.

Aside from access to information, al-Khaja said today’s technology now allows end-users to virtually pay utility bills, book flights, or update bank accounts even without the physical presence of the person.

Al-Khaja’s sentiments were echoed by Khaled Abdou, chairman Chamber of Printing and Packaging Industries and the Federation of Egyptian Industries.

But despite bleak projections for the print media, Abdou said there is still hope for the newspaper industry due to the rising popularity of customised printing, which, he said, will be available “in the near future.”

Abdou added that customised printing is also expected to revolutionise the printing industry due to the availability of new equipment and materials that complement today’s technology.

In Egypt, Abdou said printers now have the technology to accommodate industrial-sized advertising or marketing materials using machines that can print 3,000m of special paper per hour.

When asked why countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia and Dubai in the Middle East are getting the lion’s share of the printing industry, al-Khaja pointed to quality, pricing, and craftsmanship.

“What these countries provide is a complete process. Printing books, magazines, or brochures is not as simple as pushing a button. You have technicians, specialists in colour mixing or in pre- and post- printing that look after the quality of the output,” al-Khaja explained.

While Dubai is seen as a strong competitor against Hong Kong and Singapore, al-Khaja noted that Bahrain is gradually emerging as a competent contender in the printing business.