While personalisation has been a major trend in the industry for several years, the onus is now on printers to stand out from the competition and offer something different. So, how can your company catch the eye of consumers in the gifting sector? BOOSTING PRINTED PRODUCTS WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH Speaking with those in the know within the personalisation and gifting sector, one thing has become abundantly clear: it is no longer enough to simply print someone’s name or picture on a product and expect this to be enough to support businesses in the long term. In order to remain successful and continue to grow, print service providers (PSPs) now need to look beyond their more traditional offerings in these areas to offer something different than their competitors and appeal more to consumers, who are demanding more from their printed work. Here, Print Monthly speaks with several companies very much in the know when it comes to personalised printing and producing pieces for gifting to find out what PSPs can do to stand out and draw in more of this work from customers. Room for Expansion First up is Inkcups, which provides printing and industrial inkjet printing equipment, supplies, and inks for the promotional, apparel, and industrial markets. Nick Macfarlane, its UK and Ireland sales representative, says while the trend of personalisation holds strong in the realm of gifting, Inkcups believes the market can continue to expand. “Whether it’s customised tumblers or bespoke candle holders, consumers are increasingly drawn to elevating their gift-giving experiences by tailoring gifts to match the recipient's current obsession or significant life milestones,” Macfarlane says, adding: “That has been one of the big drivers in the growth of digital printing in recent years, but we think it can go much further than that. “Take, for example, a wedding photograph of the bride and groom printed directly onto a candle holder; such a personalised item is bound to be a cherished gift. With Inkcups’ technology, printers can easily offer consumers the ability to print high-quality photorealistic images, customised messages, haptic designs, and so much more.” Building on this, Macfarlane draws attention to one of the latest offerings from Inkcups in the form of the Helix ONE, launched last year to break down barriers to entry into cylindrical direct-to-object printing for everyone from print businesses and packaging manufacturers to promotional goods producers and gift manufacturers themselves. “Its compact design and user-friendly interface mean that any business can begin offering direct-to-object printing of everything from bottles and drinkware to candle holders,” he says, adding: “If you look at how Bottled Goose in the UK has built a whole arm of its business around personalised gifting, for example, it shows ▲ Inkcups says demand for personalisation in the gifting sector is still strong 52 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk July / August 2024 - Issue 349 FOCUS ON / PERSONALISATION AND GIFTING Encore says high-quality finishes such as embossing, foil stamping, and UV coating can give gift packaging a luxurious look
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==