It’s probably no surprise that, at Mixam, we believe print has a place in the modern world.

Many of us are on social media nowadays. And we spend a large proportion of our daily lives posting, liking, commenting and interacting with the wider online community. But if you're a business owner or part of a marketing team, the pressure to meet customer expectations and deliver excellent service has left many resorting to online advertising and away from traditional media. 

But take photography, for instance - or illustration, art or design. Creative individuals in these sectors all rely on print at some point. They need printed materials to prepare for exhibitions, to create portfolios and to earn a livelihood. Simply because new inventions come around, it doesn’t make long-established methods obsolete.

But Mixam is an e-commerce platform. And sure - we admit it - we couldn’t have survived without our online presence. Some of you sceptics out there may have thought the end of print isn’t far off the horizon. Yet we say demand for printed materials remains strong, and it's sure to stay that way for a long time to come. So we’ve taken a moment to explain some reasons why print is still relevant today:

Print requires scrutiny 

Print costs, and therefore demands our focus and attention. Some may even pay more attention to a final print than our social media output. But it also inspires critical thinking. Printing physical pieces of work encourage us to move our minds away from 2D and into 3D.
 

Print has a long life-span

Once you post a picture online, it’s there for the long run. But products like books can arguably have greater longevity and impact. We can take thousands of photographs on our phones or hand-held cameras, but these images often remain forgotten and unappreciated. The casual, throw-away nature of social media doesn’t always allow personal items to survive from one generation to the next, making printed items all the more precious.

Print comes with prestige.

Despite existing for millennia, print work is still held in high esteem today. You could argue that readers may be more trusting and confident in what they are reading in print as opposed to what they encounter on the internet. Printed items don't even have to be lavishly decorative or expensive to make an impression. But what’s undeniable is that print continues to be a credible resource. 
 

Print creates commerce

If you want to market your business with Flyers, for example, then print is the perfect way to identify your target market. It’s a human desire to touch and hold objects that are tactile and interesting. So including eye-catching imagery and well-crafted text in your prints helps people understand who you are and what you provide. No need to log on or scroll endlessly through web pages!

The print industry continues to thrive and has become more accessible and affordable. And gone are the days when print was only available to a minority. If anything, digital media has allowed us to integrate both new and old media. There’s no reason why print and digital media cannot co-exist. Print has enormous charm and has appeal to many generations, constantly presenting new talent and possibilities. And we hope you’ll consider print as an attractive and profitable resource now and in the future.

For more news and inspiration, check out the array of posts on Mixam's Blog and visit our Support section for helpful guidance and advice on all things print.

Image sources: Pexels and Freepik