With more companies, both inside the industry and away from the print sector, starting to utilise artificial intelligence (AI), Rob Fletcher takes a closer look at the opportunities for print companies to make the most of the AI revolution.
While still in its relative infancy, there is seemingly no escaping the AI wave that appears to be travelling around the world. Whether it is facial recognition to unlock a door or your mobile device, or calling on ChatGPT to help you write a birthday card message, AI is already available in many forms.
The big consideration for print companies is how they can best utilise the AI tools available to them to evolve their business and help them grow in the long run. It is important to look past thoughts of “robots are coming to take our jobs” and instead consider how AI can help and assist human workers with their everyday print tasks.
In this feature, we take a look at some of the manufacturers championing the use of AI in the industry, as well as some of the technologies that are available to print professionals.
Transforming the printing experience
HP is among the first major brands to ride the AI wave, having last year announced HP Print AI. Billed as the industry’s first intelligent print experiences designed to change how the world prints, HP Print AI has been developed to make printing “frictionless” by eliminating common challenges from printer setup to support.
Last year, HP announced that launch of its HP Print AI solution
Key features include Perfect Output, which HP said bridges the gaps between what people see on screen and what they intend to print. The feature reformats and reorganises content to fit perfectly on the page the first time, while the technology can also detect unwanted content such as adverts and web text, printing only the desired text and images, saving time, paper, and ink in the process.
Other stand-out points include how HP Print AI will simplify and tailor support for individual customers. HP Print AI leverages natural language and contextual awareness, remembering users’ preferences and past questions, meaning users receive customised support whenever required.
Also of note for the commercial market is the expanded availability of HP Scan AI Enhanced, a cloud- based, AI-driven solution that automatically recognises the type of documents being scanned and extracts key data based on the customer’s specific business needs. By reducing manual steps and data entry, HP said this saves time and money for small- to medium-sized and enterprise customers.
“We are transforming the printing experience with HP Print AI, making it easier and more intuitive,” said Tuan Tran, HP president of imaging, printing, and solutions. “Introducing AI solutions across our portfolio will simplify printing, ignite creativity, and accelerate collaboration – all while ensuring customer data is protected and kept private.
“This is our first step in setting a new standard for printing.”
Accurate and efficient workflow
Also making use of AI as part of its print solutions offering is Ricoh. Samantha Precious, who is strategic operational account director at Ricoh UK, picked out the Ricoh Pro Scanner and Ricoh Supervisor, both of which are available in Ricoh’s Automation Suite, saying they help to simplify operation and give greater feedback to help shape key business decisions.
The Ricoh Pro Scanner is available for the Ricoh Pro VC70000e, VC70000 and VC60000 -speed inkjet presses. According to Precious, it identifies details that improve performance and consistency.
“Firstly, it decreases manual touchpoints and increases overall efficiency through predictive analytics,” she said. “Secondly, it monitors production to check on the machine’s condition and the quality and accuracy of the printed content. And thirdly, it identifies ways to improve future production, including monitoring for scheduled preventative maintenance.
“It also helps to automate a variety of labour-intensive and time-consuming tasks, such as printhead cleaning, paper profiling and even daily startup routines.”
Ricoh offers several AI-inspired tools to customers
German print and mailing specialist Sattler Media Group was among the first customers to make use of the Ricoh Pro Scanner. Christian Haneke, innovation and solutions manager at Settler, said it enables the documentation of print standards at any point in the production run and maintains optimal quality. He also noted how it minimises setup times.
As for Ricoh Supervisor, this tool removes the manual entry of data and, according to Ricoh, offer users greater insight into press utilisation. The solution works by tracking operational trends that impact production. Ricoh said this delivers organisation-wide visibility with customisable dashboards and offers customers a greater understanding of job throughput and device issues that may cause missed deadlines
“These applications collect information through a continuous feedback loop directly from clients’ workflow so the AI can discover patterns,” Previous said. “As a result of the more accurate and efficient workflow process, print companies can then build even stronger relationships with their clients.”
Continued impact of AI
Also weighing in is Lawrence Lee, vice president of incubation and strategy at Xerox, who is an advocate for the use of AI in printing. He said with AI already appearing in Xerox’s apps and solutions, this trend will continue as the manufacturer understands more about AI and how to best utilise to support customers.
Xerox said AI continues to help improve the usability and reliability
“Fundamentally Xerox has always helped customers with work – using or inventing the best technologies of each age,” Lee said. “Printing, scanning, and managing documents are key components of work, but only a subset of all the activities that define work.
“We see the continued impact of AI to improve the usability and reliability of our products and services, both through embedded sensing and intelligence as well as leveraging new technologies such as augmented reality to empower customers to learn how to perform a function or fix a problem.”
Clearly, AI has plenty of potential when it comes to print, with several manufacturers already integrating it into their offering. However, it is very much down to print companies as to how far they want to take it in terms of how they want to use AI.
To conclude, we thought we would ask ChatGPT for its own take on AI’s future in print. Here is what it had to say:
“AI has a strong future in print. It can automate layout design, personalise content, optimize ad placement, and generate articles or images quickly. By reducing production costs and speeding workflows, AI allows print media to stay competitive, relevant, and profitable in a digital-first world.”