Why Print Businesses are moving from Volume to Value
-Praveen Seth, Head of Digital Workplace Business HQ, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India.
India, 12 May,2026: Praveen Seth, Head of Digital Workplace Business HQ, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India in an interaction with CIOTechOutlook shared his views on why are luxury brands, premium packaging, and personalized experiences becoming the new growth engines for print businesses, can print companies make more profit from fewer orders by shifting from volume-driven operations to value-led innovation and more.
Praveen Seth is a seasoned operations and customer service leader with almost 35 years of experience across industry pioneers like Xerox and Konica Minolta, currently serving as Head of Digital Workplace Business HQ at Konica Minolta Business Solutions India. With a strong background in post-sales operations, digital workplace solutions, field service management, and customer relationship management, he has built expertise in driving operational efficiency and enhancing service delivery within the technology and business solutions sector.
Is the “print is dying” narrative actually pushing the industry toward its most profitable transformation yet?
The print industry today is undergoing one of its most significant transformations, driven by changing consumer expectations, technological advancements, and evolving business requirements. Print continues to remain an essential part of communication, packaging, publishing, branding, and customer engagement across industries globally.
Today, customer expectations are changing rapidly. Brands are demanding shorter runs, faster turnaround times, greater personalisation, and more sustainable production practices. This has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies, automation, smart workflows, and data-driven production models across the print ecosystem. Instead of relying only on scale, print businesses are increasingly focusing on high-value applications such as packaging, labels, embellishments, customised marketing materials, and on-demand production.
What is emerging is a smarter print economy where efficiency, flexibility, and innovation matter more than sheer production volume. Businesses that are adapting to this transition are finding new revenue streams, stronger customer relationships, and better operational control. The future of print will be determined by how effectively the industry embraces technology, automation, sustainability, and changing consumer expectations.
Why are luxury brands, premium packaging, and personalized experiences becoming the new growth engines for print businesses?
Luxury brands, premium packaging, and personalised experiences are becoming major growth drivers for the print industry because consumer expectations today extend far beyond just the product itself. Brands are increasingly focusing on creating stronger emotional connections, differentiated customer experiences, and premium visual identities, and print plays a critical role in enabling that.
In sectors such as luxury retail, cosmetics, fashion, food & beverage, packaging has evolved into a key part of brand storytelling. High-quality print finishes, embellishments, textured effects, metallics, specialty colours, and customized packaging help brands create exclusivity and stronger shelf appeal in a highly competitive market.
At the same time, personalisation is becoming increasingly important. Consumers now expect more tailored and unique experiences, whether through personalised labels, limited-edition packaging, regional customisation, or variable data campaigns. This shift is driving demand for flexible and digitally enabled print technologies that can efficiently manage shorter runs and customised outputs.
For print businesses, this transition presents a strong opportunity to move beyond commoditised production and toward higher-value applications with better margins. The industry is increasingly evolving from being purely production-oriented to becoming a strategic enabler of customer experience, branding, and premiumisation.
Can print companies make more profit from fewer orders by shifting from volume-driven operations to value-led innovation?
The print industry is not undergoing a complete shift away from volume-driven operations, but rather evolving towards a more balanced model that combines scale with value-added innovation. While high-volume printing continues to remain fundamental to the industry, changing client expectations and market dynamics are encouraging businesses to diversify their offerings and focus on higher-value services alongside traditional production.
Large-scale printing remains critical for operational efficiency, capacity utilisation, and servicing sectors such as FMCG, publishing, retail, and logistics, where consistency, speed, and cost efficiency are essential. For many print companies, volume-based work continues to provide stability and predictable revenue streams.
At the same time, brands today are looking beyond basic print execution and seeking solutions that support consumer engagement, premium brand positioning, sustainability goals, and supply chain Optimisation.
How are niche printing segments like smart packaging, sustainable labels, and custom publishing reshaping the future of print?
Niche printing segments such as smart packaging, sustainable labels, and custom publishing are significantly reshaping the future of the print industry by moving it toward more specialised, application-driven, and value-added services. These segments reflect changing consumer expectations, evolving brand strategies, and the growing need for personalisation, sustainability, and connected experiences.
Smart packaging, for instance, is transforming packaging from a purely protective medium into an interactive communication tool. Technologies such as QR codes, RFID integration, traceability features, and connected packaging are helping brands enhance customer engagement, improve supply chain visibility, and support authentication and anti-counterfeit measures.
Similarly, sustainable labels and eco-conscious packaging solutions are gaining momentum as brands and consumers become more environmentally aware. There is increasing demand for recyclable materials, reduced waste production, sustainable inks, and resource-efficient printing processes. Sustainability is no longer just a compliance requirement; it is becoming a competitive differentiator.
Custom publishing and on-demand printing are also creating new opportunities by enabling hyper-personalisation, regional customisation, and shorter print runs without compromising efficiency. Whether in books, marketing materials, photo products, or packaging, customers increasingly value flexibility and relevance over mass production.
Together, these niche segments are helping redefine print as a smarter, more adaptive, and innovation-led industry focused on delivering higher-value experiences rather than simply large production volumes.
Why are modern consumers willing to pay more for tactile, premium, and personalized print experiences in a digital-first world?
In an increasingly digital-first world, tactile, premium, and personalised print experiences offer something that digital communication often cannot: a sense of physical connection, exclusivity, and emotional engagement. As consumers are exposed to a constant stream of digital content every day, thoughtfully designed print experiences tend to stand out more and create a stronger lasting impression.
Premium print has become closely linked with brand perception and customer experience. Elements such as textured finishes, specialty papers, embellishments, premium packaging, and customised designs help create a more immersive and memorable interaction with a product or brand. In many cases, consumers associate these physical details with higher quality, authenticity, and greater brand value.
Personalisation is another major factor driving this shift. Today’s consumers increasingly expect experiences tailored to their preferences, whether through customized packaging, limited-edition products, variable data printing, or region-specific communication. Personalized print helps brands create deeper emotional connections and a stronger sense of individuality for customers.
Additionally, print offers permanence and trust in a way that digital communication sometimes struggles to achieve. A well-crafted printed piece often feels more intentional, credible, and valuable. As a result, brands across luxury, retail, publishing, and packaging are increasingly using premium print not just as a communication tool, but as a key part of the overall customer experience strategy.
Why are print businesses shifting from high-volume production to high-value specialized printing services?
Print businesses are increasingly shifting from high-volume production to high-value specialised printing services because market demands, customer expectations, and business economics are rapidly evolving. Competing purely on volume and pricing has become increasingly challenging, with shrinking margins and growing operational pressures across the industry. As a result, many print providers are focusing on differentiated services that offer greater profitability and long-term sustainability.
Today, brands are looking for more than just printed output. They want customisation, faster turnaround times, premium finishes, sustainable solutions, and stronger customer engagement. This has created growing demand for specialised applications such as premium packaging, labels, embellishments, variable data printing, short-run production, photo products, and personalized marketing materials. These services not only offer higher value to customers but also allow print businesses to command better margins.
Technology has also made this transition more practical. Advances in digital printing, automation, workflow integration, and colour management now allow businesses to efficiently handle shorter runs and complex jobs without compromising productivity or quality.
In many ways, the industry is moving from a manufacturing mindset to a solutions-oriented mindset. The focus is no longer only on producing large quantities, but on delivering creativity, flexibility, speed, and meaningful brand experiences. This shift is helping print businesses build stronger customer relationships and more resilient growth models for the future.
How can print businesses unlock higher margins by moving from commoditized printing to creative and value-added services?
Print businesses can unlock significantly higher margins by focusing on creative, specialised, and value-added services that are harder to replicate and more closely aligned with evolving customer expectations. In highly competitive markets, standard printing services often become price-driven, making it difficult for businesses to sustain profitability purely through volume.
Today, brands are increasingly seeking solutions that help them stand out, strengthen customer engagement, and create differentiated experiences. This is creating strong demand for services such as premium packaging, embellishments, specialty finishes, personalised printing, variable data applications, short-run production, smart labels, and customised marketing materials. These offerings deliver greater perceived value and allow print providers to position themselves as strategic partners rather than just production vendors.
Technology is also enabling this transition by making shorter runs, customisation, and complex applications more commercially viable. Automation, digital workflows, and intelligent production systems help improve efficiency while reducing waste and turnaround time, allowing businesses to take on higher-value projects more profitably.
Ultimately, higher margins in the future print industry are likely to come from creativity, flexibility, innovation, and customer-centric solutions rather than scale alone. Businesses that successfully combine technology with application expertise and design-driven services will be better positioned to create sustainable differentiation and long-term growth.