Fine Print: Is Ink on Paper Still Relevant in a Digital Space?

When I began my graphic design career most projects were print only. Several years on, the advent of web and digital design was upon us, and although more clients began adding these assets to their portfolios, print work remained the dominant request. Fast forward to the present and designers are now tasked with creating more things digital—from mobile apps and email campaigns to banner ads, social media graphics and animated GIFs.

Yet (I’m happy to say), print work lives on despite reports of its ultimate demise (remember the sounding of print’s death knell when the Macintosh 512, introduced in 1984, predicted the paperless office). GDUSA (Graphic Design USA), published since 1963, has for the last 60 years conducted a yearly survey on the relevance of print work in graphic design. Each year finds that print continues to be appreciated, utilized, and understood for its specific qualities and in its role and capabilities in design.

Breakdown by Project Over the Past Year
The latest GDUSA survey, published in the June 2023 issue, finds 96% of graphic designers include print in their toolbox, with 55% of projects involving print in some way. Some 82% of print work is used for brochures/collateral, with sales promotions next at 74%. Posters, ads, and packaging range from 58% to 72%. Toward the end of the list are publications and periodicals, POP/displays, books, and calendars.

Communications professionals cited some reasons why they believe print needs to be part of their services:  

• Print creates credibility. Designers felt investment in printed material showed their belief in the continued value of a worthwhile product to their clients.

• Print creates engagement. Interesting articles or special offers can lend a connection between reader and product that develops a relationship between client and brand.

• Print can be kept. Print media simply has a longer lifespan than, say, webpages. We all acknowledge how we spend a few seconds on a webpage before moving on, and unless we bookmark a specific page/site, we likely won’t return. Physical brochures and other printed materials can be set down and picked up multiple times. Passing them along to others extends their initial reach.

• Print media doesn’t need to exist in a vacuum. In fact, it shouldn’t. Print should complement; reinforce online content. Use of a QR code on a printed piece is a perfect example of referring clients to your website or online store.

A Known Quality
I, like most everyone these days, read online articles, but for me digital publications don’t provide the full sensory experience of reading that I’m used to. I simply don’t find it as engaging; actually, it’s rather tiring following those words onscreen for any length of time. I admit e-pubs and flip books are impressive, but consider seeing a book’s cover design up close, no “middleman” (i.e., RGB influenced pixels) dictating the look, hearing the little snap a new book’s spine makes when first opened, the smell of the ink on those magazine pages, the feel of the tactile quality of the paper used.

Sentimental reasons aside, print is recognized for its continuing value in an increasingly digital age. While e-readers and tablets have become more popular, especially as such technologies improve, reading on paper has its advantages. In 2013, a Scientific American article reported that the human brain remembers words on paper better than words displayed on screens. It seems that physically interacting with paper stimulates the brain’s memory area better than a screen will.

Speaking of nostalgia, I’ll bet many of us still have those “memory boxes” filled with concert tickets, photos, magazine clippings, even (gasp!) snail mail letters and cards. I’m sorry, but I doubt any email holds that special soft spot in our hearts.

Why Print Design Remains Viable
Aside from its tangible qualities, I believe print’s viability thrives in response to digital fatigue and clutter. There just seems to be no end to the shrieking, “in-your-face” nonstop motion of the digital world. Digital is impermanent, transient in nature. Printed pieces allow us an opportunity to hold onto something, its very dimensions inviting us to save it. Print remains vital for its tactile qualities, its permanence. Its lasting nature invites credibility. People still look to special print techniques and unique paper textures when designing invitations, decorations, or memory books to celebrate significant moments.

Remaining Relevant
There’s no denying technology’s forward march. As professionals, we need to acknowledge the trends and embrace new ways of serving our clients’ needs. This doesn’t mean, however, abandoning time-honored and proven methods of getting messages across. There is still room to include print work in the mix. Well-designed print materials can promote digital assets (e-books, websites, apps). And wouldn’t it be nice to know people are actually getting the message; that the words and well-curated images are being absorbed, rather than getting lost in constant moving and morphing of elements? If nothing else, print offers us a moment to unplug!

References:
60th Print Design Survey. GDUSA, June 2023, pp. 28-37
Jabr, Ferris. The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: Why Paper Still Beats Screens, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-reading-brain-in-the-digital-age-why-paper-still-beats-screens/

Image credit:
iStock.com/Angela Cini

Pantone Color of the Year: Viva Magenta

Say hello to the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year, Viva Magenta

According to Pantone, this year’s color “vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.”

As a red, Viva Magenta suggests power and boldness. It’s the color of blood and fire, essential elements of life. Red is the color of creativity. As a primary color, red enjoys the inherent ability to generate other colors in the spectrum. Humans have been found to exhibit a strong affinity to the color. I love red, so I choose to embrace the hue’s positive associations of energy and passion, while understanding how the color may trigger equally intense negative emotions, like fear, attack, or hostility. With that, some fun facts about RED:

• After black and white, red is the first color babies can see.

• Red grabs our attention, so it’s useful in warning us of danger. Notice its use on stop signs, traffic lights and fire engines.

• Kings in the Middle Ages displayed their God-given right to the throne by wearing red.

• The red sole is shoe designer Christian Louboutin’s signature. It’s featured on nearly every one of the brand’s shoes for women and men.

Red Over the Years
The hunters and gatherers of thousands of years ago used red clay in making paint. Red powder was used by the Paleolithic people in burials to protect the dead from evil spirits. Red was used in art from cave paintings created with red ochre, to the cinnabar the ancient Romans used in decorations, to the use of vermillion paint in Renaissance art.

Red Across Cultures
Among its many associations, red equals love in Western culture. In Asian cultures, red speaks of good fortune, joy, and fertility. Red signifies purity in India. In Latin American countries, when red is accompanied by white, it may have religious implications. In leadership, red is associated with power, confidence, but also aggression. Bearing this in mind, red’s negative flip side is evidenced by the Middle East’s equating danger and caution with the color, and red’s continuing communism link in former Eastern European Bloc countries.

How Red Affects Us Physically and Psychologically
Yes, red can provoke strong emotions, from the positive (love, passion, assertiveness, energy, confidence, among others) to the negative (anger, war, even financial loss). Our exposure to red may cause increased blood pressure, respiration rate, heart rate and metabolism. While the thought of using red in home décor may be daunting, interior designers may suggest adding small accent amounts to draw attention to certain details, or to provide a pop of color to an otherwise neutral scheme. Since red is thought to increase appetite, the color’s use is sometimes suggested for dining rooms and is frequently seen in restaurant design.

Color evokes strong psychological reactions. We love some colors, dislike others. This is neither bad nor good—just different, and, as with so many things, usually a matter of personal taste. And I enjoy the taste of red, especially in a nice Cabernet Sauvignon.

See Viva Magenta in all its liveliness (and view past Colors of the Year) to inspire your 2023 design journey!

Sources:
HunterLab.com
BournCreative.com