It’s no secret the landscape of print has changed—and keeps changing faster than a lot of folks ever expected.
Total printed volume keeps sliding. The days of monster offset runs and predictable reorders are mostly behind us. In their place: shorter runs, tighter margins, and more competition from every direction—big-box retailers, online platforms, you name it.
But here’s the good news: in all that upheaval, there’s also more opportunity than ever to rethink what a print business can be.
Let’s break down where I see the smartest print shops leaning in—and why you should, too.
Direct Mail Isn’t Just Surviving—It’s Thriving
Sounds counterintuitive, right? In the age of inbox overload and nonstop notifications, you’d think direct mail would be the first thing to go. But it’s actually the opposite.
Smart, targeted, highly personalized direct mail is outperforming digital-only campaigns by a mile. A 2025 survey from Lob showed brands combining AI-driven personalization with physical mail boosted engagement by up to 10×.
Think about it: When a well-designed postcard or letter shows up with your name on it and a relevant offer, you notice it. You feel like it was made for you—because it was.
If you’re not already offering direct mail strategy and fulfillment alongside print production, you’re leaving money—and client loyalty—on the table.
Practical tip:
Run a test campaign yourself. Send a simple, personalized postcard to your top prospects with a relevant offer. Include a QR code or trackable link. Not only will you generate leads, but you’ll prove to clients that you practice what you preach.
Adjacent Services Are Your Growth Engine
Standing still isn’t an option. One of the smartest moves right now is to add services that align naturally with your capabilities and customers’ needs.
Some easy wins:
- 3D Printing: Prototypes, custom signage elements, branded awards.
- Pad Printing: Promotional products and tricky shapes.
- Laser Engraving: High-perceived-value gifts and plaques.
You don’t need to pivot your whole shop—just extend your value. And if you’re not sure what your customers would actually buy, ask them. A short email survey can reveal exactly where to focus.
Don’t Overlook Marketing Services
If you’ve figured out how to market your own shop—website, social media, email—you’re already ahead of most small businesses. They don’t have the time or expertise to do it themselves.
That creates a huge opportunity: becoming the partner who not only prints their materials but helps them use those materials to grow.
More and more printers are adding services like:
- Website and landing page design
- Social media content creation
- Email marketing
- Local SEO
- Brand strategy
You don’t need to become a full-service agency overnight. Start with what you’re good at and partner on the rest.
Smarter Shop Floors Are the New Normal
Walk into a forward-thinking print shop and you’ll spot it right away: no more clipboards, no more mystery job statuses.
Operators are scanning barcodes, dashboards are updating in real time, and managers aren’t chasing updates all day.
The truth is, very few shops have true, to-the-minute visibility yet—but the ones who do are sprinting ahead.
Practical tip:
Pilot a simple setup: a tablet and scanner on one production line tracking just three things—job start/stop times, quantity produced, and quick operator notes. After 30 days, compare what the data tells you to your gut. You’ll see exactly where time and money slip away.
AI Isn’t Coming—It’s Already Here
Not long ago, AI in print sounded like a trade show buzzword. Now it’s real—and it’s saving time, waste, and sanity.
From cameras catching color drift in real time to software auto-adjusting press settings mid-run, AI-driven quality control is already reducing rework, waste, and those 2 a.m. fire drills.
And you don’t need an enterprise budget to start. A simple camera and sensor tied to a dashboard can flag issues before they become expensive problems.
Practical tip:
Install a basic quality-control checkpoint on one press—maybe a camera watching for skew or streaks—and track waste before and after. You’ll see the ROI almost immediately.
Final Thought
This isn’t about abandoning print—it’s about evolving the business model around it.
The presses will keep running. But the print shops that thrive will be the ones that expand what they offer, embrace smarter workflows, and help clients grow in a way no online platform ever could.
Adapt, or get left behind. The choice is yours—and it’s never been more exciting.
To learn more, check out our other blogs.
