Print can still be a strong-margin business — but the day-to-day pressure is real.
Skilled labor is retiring. Hiring is harder. Outsourcing keeps you moving… until lead times slip, quality varies, and profits get thinner than they should be. Meanwhile, customers want faster turnarounds, fewer vendors, and “something special” that helps their marketing work.
Two of our product consultants, Jon Congdon and Jordi Marti, sat down with Kevin Abergel (Taktiful) to discuss what that means for 2026, based on what they're seeing in the industry.
1) Automation isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s how you stay consistent with fewer skilled hands.
When experienced operators leave the workforce, the shop that depends on tribal knowledge gets stuck. As Jon put it, automation is quickly becoming a must if printers want to stay viable.
What automation gives you:
- Fewer touchpoints (less chance for mistakes)
- More consistent output (less rework)
- Faster onboarding (less reliance on one/a few superstar operators)
- Predictable throughput (better scheduling, less fire-fighting)
Summary: Automation protects production when labor is unpredictable.
2) The future isn’t more CMYK — it’s differentiation.
You can’t win long-term by being “another shop that prints nice color.” Jon’s framing is the simplest truth in the whole conversation: anyone can put CMYK on paper. The question is:
How are you different than the guy down the street?
That’s where embellishment earns its keep. Not as decoration, but as attention.
When you add tactile or premium finishes (raised effects, digital foiling, specialty coatings/laminations), you’re giving your customer a piece that:
- gets noticed
- feels more valuable
- can lift perceived value and response (especially in direct mail and high-end marketing)
Summary: Differentiation creates pricing power.
96% of printers say 90% of their customers expect them to be a one-stop shop.
3) “One-stop shop” isn’t a slogan anymore — it’s the expectation.
Jon referenced a striking industry reality: 96% of printers say 90% of their customers expect them to be a one-stop shop.
That changes the competitive game. Customers don’t want to manage multiple vendors for print + finishing + specialty effects, especially when deadlines are tight.
Shops that keep work in-house typically win on:
- speed (fewer handoffs)
- control (quality + consistency)
- simplicity (easier buying decision)
- stickiness (customers stay once you’re integrated into their workflow)
Summary: Fewer handoffs mean fewer headaches for you and your customer.
4) The barrier to premium embellishment just dropped — dramatically.
For years, true digital embellishment felt like a “big shop” move. With spot UV effects, for example, Jon pointed out that entry used to be around $200K, which kept a lot of printers on the sidelines.
Now the conversation is different. You can get into the spot UV market for under $65K.
Jordi described this as “democratizing” the application for entry-level printers — and that’s exactly what’s happening. Lower entry costs mean more shops can realistically add a premium capability without a huge investment.
Why this matters: It turns embellishment into an achievable profit center, not a "someday" project.
5) Sustainability is becoming operational (and profitable).
In some markets — especially parts of Europe — sustainability can affect brand perception and vendor choice. But even when it’s not a formal requirement, it shows up operationally. Cutting waste/material cost is already a top priority for shops, and outsourcing variability is a big driver of waste (overs, rework, extra shipping, and remakes).
Bring more finishing in-house, and you can reduce that uncertainty: fewer overs, fewer reruns, fewer shipments, and more predictable output.
Summary: Sustainability that improves margin is the kind that actually sticks.
What smart printers are doing next
If you’re thinking about where your shop should be in the next 3–5 years, 2026 is a great moment to make moves that compound:
- Automate where labor risk is highest
- Add embellishment where differentiation drives profit
- Bring finishing in-house to meet the one-stop-shop expectation
Because the future of print isn’t more ink.
It’s more impact.
Prefer to watch instead of read?
Watch the full discussion here: